Etymograph

English

journal

Journal comes from Anglo-Norman jurnal ‘daily’, from Old French jornel ‘day’, and ultimately from Latin diūs.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiūs1
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnus2‘of the day’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnālis2‘diurnal’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400jornel2‘day’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400jurnal2‘daily’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500journal2
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1590journal2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin diurnus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English journal
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book I, Canto XI: “[…]his faint ſteedes watred in Ocean deepe, / Whiles…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiūsWiktionary, Latin diurnus
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnusWiktionary, English journal‘of the day’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnālisWiktionary, English journal‘diurnal’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400jornelWiktionary, English journal‘day’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400jurnalWiktionary, English journal‘daily’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500journalWiktionary, English journal
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1590journalWiktionary, English journal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book I, Canto XI: “[…]his faint ſteedes watred in Ocean deepe, / Whiles…”

Linked words

pairs

  • journal and dismal both from Latin diēs

through Latin diurnus ‘of the day’

sojourn, 3 more

through Latin diurnālis ‘diurnal’

diurnal, 2 more

Another origin of journal

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dyew-‘sky, heaven’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dyḗws‘heaven, sky’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*djēmreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaccusative
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiēs‘day’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnus‘of the day’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdiurnālis‘diurnal’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400journal‘daily’
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentjournal‘that is relative to each day’
  10. Englishtodayjournal

Today it means

noun A diary or daily record of a person, organization, vessel etc.; daybook.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “journal”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin diurnus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin diūs / journal

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