jubilee

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈdʒuːbɪliː/ (UK); /ˈdʒubəˌli/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English jubile,^[2][3] borrowed from Old French jubilé,^[2][4][5] from Late Latin iūbilaeus (“of the jubilee”),^[2][4][5] from Ancient Greek ἰωβηλαῖος (iōbēlaîos),^[2][3][4] from iōbēlos,^[2][4] from Biblical Hebrew יוֹבֵל (yōbēl, “ram's horn, jubilee”).^[2][3][4][5] The Latin form was altered by association with the unrelated verb iūbilāre “to shout for joy”.^[2][4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Old Testament, a year of emancipation and restoration kept every fiftieth year (1382).^[7][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Under the law of Leviticus 25, the jubilee year was proclaimed with a ram's horn on the Day of Atonement; slaves were freed, land returned to its former owners and fields left untilled.^[4][5][2] The Roman Catholic Church adopted the name in 1300 for a year of special indulgence.^[7][2] The idea of the fiftieth year led to the sense “fiftieth anniversary” and its celebration (about 1386), later extended to other anniversaries such as silver and diamond jubilees.^[7][6] From about 1450 the word was also used for any time of rejoicing, helped by its association with jubilant.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 1382 – the Hebrew year of jubilee.^[7][4]
• about 1386 – a fiftieth anniversary or its celebration.^[7]
• 1432–1450 – the Roman Catholic jubilee year.^[7]
• about 1450 – a season of rejoicing.^[4]
• 1887 – verb, to celebrate a jubilee.^[7]
• 1951 – adjective, of a dish served flaming, as cherries jubilee.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A special anniversary, especially a fiftieth, or its celebration.
2. A season or occasion of joyful celebration; rejoicing.
3. (Judaism) In the Hebrew Scriptures, a year of rest and release kept every fiftieth year.
4. (Roman Catholicism) A year in which special indulgence may be gained.

Adjective

1. Served flaming, as in cherries jubilee.

Related words

• jubilance
• jubilant
• jubilate
• jubilation

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press