joey

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˈdʒəʊ.i/, US /ˈdʒoʊ.i/^[1]

Etymology

It is often said to come from an Australian Aboriginal word joè,^[2][3][4][5] but Etymonline notes that it is now more often called of unknown origin, perhaps an extended use of the name Joey, a pet form of Joseph.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A young kangaroo: 1839.^[6][7][4]

Semantic evolution

It came to mean any young animal or a child.^[7][5] An 1887 article on Australian colloquialisms called joey a familiar name for anything young or small, a puppy, a kitten or a child, and a wood-and-water joey a man who hung about hotels doing odd jobs.^[6]

Timeline

• 1839 – a young kangaroo.^[6][7]
• 1887 – anything young or small.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (Australia, informal) A young kangaroo or possum.
2. A young animal or a child.

Related words

• kangaroo

Usage notes

Joey, a fourpenny piece (1865) and later a threepenny bit (1936), and Joey, a clown (1896), come from the pet name.^[7][3] In English dialects a joey was also a green linnet or a starling.^[8]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)