Jubilee Definition

Origin of Jubilee

• From Middle French jubile (French jubilé), from Late Latin jūbilaeus. Beyond this point, the etymology is disputed. Traditionally this derives from Ancient Greek ἰωβηλαῖος (iōbēlaios, “of a jubilee”), from ἰώβηλος (iōbēlos, “jubilee”), from Hebrew יובל (yobēl/yovēl, “ram, ram's horn; jubilee”), presumably because a ram’s horn trumpet was originally used to proclaim the event. More recent scholarship disputes this – while the religious sense is certainly from Hebrew, the term itself is proposed to have Proto-Indo-European roots. Specifically, this interpretation proposed that Latin jūbilaeus is from iūbilō (“I shout for joy”), which predates the Vulgate, and that this verb, as well as Middle Irish ilach (“victory cry”), English yowl, and Ancient Greek ἰύζω (iuzō, “shout”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *yu- (“shout for joy”). In this interpretation, the Hebrew term is instead a borrowing from an Indo-European language, hence ultimately of Proto-Indo-European origin.

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English jubile from Old French from Late Latin iūbilaeus the Jewish year of jubilee alteration (influenced by iūbilāre to raise a shout of joy) of Greek iōbēlaios from iōbēlos from Hebrew yôbēl ram, ram's horn, jubilee ybl in Semitic roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• Ultimately from Hebrew יוֹבֵל (yovél, “ram's horn, shofar”), which was used for the proclamation of the year of Jubilee.

  From Wiktionary