joss
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Chinese Pidgin English, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Portuguese deus (“god”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin deus (“god”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *deywós (“god/that which belongs to heaven”).[1]
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /dʒɒs/
Noun
joss (countable and uncountable, plural josses)
- (countable) A Chinese household divinity; a Chinese idol.
- (countable) A heathen divinity.
- 1939, Philip George Chadwick, The Death Guard, pages 111–112:
- Don't forget they're mostly just joss-worshipping heathen an' they don't get no kick out of the more classy breeds o' religion. Though I guess there ain't that much diff'rence. It ain't many's so Lord Almighty in theirselves that they don't need a joss of some sort, an' I guess it's what yu think about him matters not the sort o' joss.
- 1939, Philip George Chadwick, The Death Guard, pages 111–112:
- (uncountable, informal) Luck.
- 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 178:
- She had twisted a piece of heather into her mail box for good joss, and this was the safety signal.
- 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 178:
Derived terms
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “joss”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Finnish
Conjunction
joss
See also
Categories:
- English terms derived from Chinese Pidgin English
- English terms derived from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English informal terms
- Finnish lemmas
- Finnish conjunctions
- fi:Logic