† Judeishadj.n.

Etymology: In α. forms < Old English Iūdēas (plural) Jews (see note) or Iūdēa, the name of Judaea (see Judaean n.) + -ish suffix¹; compare Old Saxon judeisk , Old High German judeisc , and (with unexplained medial w ) Gothic judaiwisks . In β. forms probably partly < iūd- (in classical Latin Iūdaeus (see Judaean n.), etc.) + -ish suffix¹, and partly < Old English Iūdan (plural) Jews (see note) + -ish suffix¹; compare Old Frisian jōdsk , Old Dutch judisk , Old High German judisc . The γ. forms probably show alteration after classical Latin Iūdaicus Judaic adj.; compare also post-classical Latin Iuda (Vulgate), the name of Judah (see Judahite n.), and also the name of Judas (see Judas n.).Form history. The capital forms of the letters J and I were not normally distinguished before the 17th cent. (compare discussion at J n.). Distinctions between J and I in editions of earlier texts reflect editorial conventions adopted by modern editors. The early Middle English form Iudisskenn in the Ormulum (see β. forms) continues an inflected (probably weak) form. Forms of the ethnonym in Old English. The usual form of the ethnonym in Old English is Iūdēas (plural) Jews, also occasionally Iūdas and (Northumbrian) Iūðēas , all < classical Latin Iūdaeus , in post-classical Latin also Iudeus (4th or 5th cent. in Augustine: see Judaean n.). This is a strong masculine noun; compare Old High German (strong masculine plural) judea . A weak masculine plural Iūdan , Iūþan is also attested in the translation of Orosius Hist.; compare also Northumbrian weak genitive plural forms Iūdēana , Iūðēana , Iūdana (compare Old Saxon judeo , giudeo , juðeo , Old High German judeo , judo , and other weak masculines cited below). Beside this, forms with Latin case inflection also occur in Old English and early Middle English (especially nominative plural Iūdēī , occasionally also nominative singular Iū̄dēus ). Compare:eOE Runic Inscription on Franks Casket in R. I. Page Introd. Eng. Runes (1999) 176 Her fegtaþ Titus end giuþeasu.eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) vi. x. 140 On þære tide wæron Iudan [OE Tiber. iudei] on miclum geflite & on micelre unsibbe wið þa londleode.OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Mark xv. 2 Interrogauit eum pilatus, tu es rex iudeaorum : geascade hine pylatus ðu arð cynig iudeana [OE Corpus Cambr. eart þu iudea cynincg].lOE Homily: Gospel of Nicodemus (Vesp. D.xiv) in R. D.-N. Warner Early Eng. Homilies (1917) 80 Þa Judees smeaden hware Elias se witega wære.c1175 ( Homily: Hist. Holy Rood-tree (Bodl. 343) (1894) 30 Ða hit ða wæs embe þone timæ þæt ða arleasæ iudei hine hon wolden, þa ne mihten heo on nane stowe swylc treow finden swylce heo hine on hon wolden.Compare later Judew n. Forms in other Germanic languages. The nouns for ‘Jew’ in other Germanic languages are: Old Frisian joda , jotha , juda , jode , jōde , jude (West Frisian joad ), Old Dutch judo (Middle Dutch jōde , juede , jood , Dutch jood ), Old Saxon judeo , giudeo , juðeo (Middle Low German jȫde , jödde , jǖde ), Old High German judeo , judo (Middle High German jude , jüde , German Jude ), Gothic Iudaius . The Scandinavian forms, Old Icelandic (in late sources) Júði (the usual word is the etymologically distinct Gyðingr ), Old Swedish iūðe , iödhe , iudhe (Swedish jude ), Old Danish iødæ , jøthæ , iuthæ , iudæ (Danish jøde ) are < Middle Low German. See further D. Hofmann ‘Der Name der Juden in den altgermanischen Sprachen’ in German Life & Lett. 35 (1982) 296–314. With the variation of the medial consonant between plosive and fricative compare note at Judew n. The adjectives meaning ‘Jewish’ in other Germanic languages are: Old Frisian jōdsk, judāsk (West Frisian joadsk), Old Dutch judisk (Middle Dutch jōdesch, juedesc, Dutch joods), Old Saxon judeisk (Middle Low German jȫdisch, jöddisch, jǖdisch), Old High German judeisc (Middle High German jüdisch, judesch, German jüdisch), Gothic judaiwisk. Old Swedish iudhisker, iudsker (Swedish judisk), Old Danish iøtzsk (Danish jødisk, †jødsk) are < Middle Low German.