Jazz (word)
Overview
The origin of the word jazz is one of the most sought-after word origins
in modern American English
. The word's intrinsic interest — the American Dialect Society
named it the Word of the Twentieth Century
— has resulted in considerable research, and its history is well documented. As discussed in more detail below, jazz began as a West Coast slang
term around 1912, the meaning of which varied but which did not refer to music or sex. Jazz came to mean jazz
music in Chicago
around 1915.
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
in modern American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
. The word's intrinsic interest — the American Dialect Society
American Dialect Society
The American Dialect Society, founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society publishes the academic journal, American Speech...
named it the Word of the Twentieth Century
Word of the year
The word of the year, sometimes capitalized as Word of the Year and abbreviated WOTY or WotY, refers to any of various assessments as to the most important word or expression in the public sphere during a specific year....
— has resulted in considerable research, and its history is well documented. As discussed in more detail below, jazz began as a West Coast slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term around 1912, the meaning of which varied but which did not refer to music or sex. Jazz came to mean jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
around 1915.
