Etymologically
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joey

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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.

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)