Origin and history of junior

junior(adj.)

late 13c., "younger, not as old as another," from Latin iunior "younger, more young," comparative of iuvenis "young; a young man," etymologically "one who possesses vital force" (from PIE root *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor;" see young (adj.)).

Used after a person's name to mean "the younger of two" from late 13c. Abbreviation Jr. is attested from 1620s. Meaning "of lesser standing, more recent" is from 1766. That of "meant for younger people, of smaller size" is from 1860. Junior miss "young teenage girl" is from 1907. In U.S. colleges, "pertaining to the third-year." Junior college is attested by 1896; junior high school is from 1909.

The junior high school is rapidly becoming the people's high school. The percentage of pupils completing the ninth year is constantly rising where junior high schools have been established. [Anne Laura McGregor, "Supervised Study in English for Junior High School Grades," New York, 1921]

also from late 13c.

junior(n.)

"a person younger than another; one of less experience or standing," 1520s, from junior (adj.). Generically as a name for a young boy, a young son from 1917, American English. In the U.S. college sense "student in the third year" from 1862.

also from 1520s

Entries linking to junior

young(adj.)

Middle English yong, from Old English geong "being in the early stage of life, not old; youthful, being in the early stages of adulthood; recent, new, fresh, vernal;" from Proto-Germanic *junga-, reconstructed to be from a suffixed form of PIE root *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor."

Cognates include Sanskrit yuvan- "young; young man;" Avestan yuuanem, yunam "youth," yoista- "youngest;" Latin juvenis "young," iunior "younger, more young;" Lithuanian jaunas, Old Church Slavonic junu, Russian junyj "young," Old Irish oac, Welsh ieuanc "young." Germanic cognates include Old Saxon and Old Frisian jung, Old Norse ungr, Middle Dutch jonc, Dutch jong, Old High German and German jung, Gothic juggs.

As "characteristic of or appropriate to the young," late 12c. Generally, of things, concrete or abstract, "being in the first or early stage of existence," c. 1400. Related: Younger; youngest.

Young France, Young Italy, Poland, Ireland, etc., were loosely applied c. 1830-1850 to "republican agitators" in various monarchies. Young England was the name of a mid-19c. political faction led by young Tory aristocrats; Young America were used generally for "typical young person of the nation." For Young Turk, see Turk.

jun.

old abbreviation of junior (adj.).

juniority(n.)

"state of being younger, opposite of seniority, 1590s, from junior (adj.) + -ity.

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