English word origin

Etymology of ja

Borrowed from Afrikaans ja (“yes”), from Dutch ja (“yes”). More at yea.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adv

Yes.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Afrikaans ja (“yes”), from Dutch ja (“yes”). More at yea.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionjaaf · yes
Derivation mentionjanl · yes

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "af",
        "3": "ja",
        "t": "yes"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Afrikaans ja (“yes”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nl",
        "3": "ja",
        "t": "yes"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch ja (“yes”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ja",
      "ja#Afrikaans"
    ],
    [
      "ja",
      "ja#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "yea",
      "yea#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Yes."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "South-Africa",
        "informal",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "7d4f7d9a7494f1a9a4780dc5c2cdacf210ce5484ca6864f56a94b1a0d2b4b04b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "54717fc347aeea99e0c41a69350379941c481759155a127fc20acb543f61c877",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 165946
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Revised Romanization of Korean 자 (ja).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention자ko

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ko",
        "3": "자"
      },
      "expansion": "Korean 자 (ja)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Revised Romanization",
      "Revised Romanization of Korean"
    ],
    [
      "자",
      "자#Korean"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "07d11f61c4e028650528c86790d1cbbddfc808a31c13116352ec9f12e35493b4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "6a9faec6a3e596866a0482fcaeba3e02fd746005b02cb0d1048e707e6fd40889",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 165947
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ja →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-amE