As Valentine’s Day approaches, thoughts of jewelry dance in
some people’s heads. Recently, I looked
up the history of the word “jewel” and found a surprising but joyous result. According the Oxford English Dictionary, “jewel” comes from either the French
word for joy, joie, or the French
word for play, jouer, although the
precise etymology surrounding the French words is under dispute.
I would have expected an etymology more in line with “value”
or “adornment” as reflected in the OED
definition, “an article of value used for adornment, chiefly of the person; a
costly ornament, esp. one made of gold, silver, or precious stones.” In
references from literature going back to the 13th century, jewels
were associated with “noble gifts.” Therefore,
it captured my imagination to read that jewelry comes from words meaning joy or
play.
As usual, I consulted the American Heritage Dictionary, as well, to compare information. Again, I found surprising results. The AHD
lists the history of “jewel” as going back to a vulgar
Latin word meaning to play or to joke. So
not only does the word “jewel” come from joy and play, but also from the common
folk, not the nobility.
Joy frequently accompanies the gift of jewelry, whether the
jewelry marks an engagement, an anniversary, a birthday, or some other non-romantic
occasion. Occasionally, we see in the
media stories of playful marriage proposals, where engagement rings are hidden
in desserts. Amorous “play” can also result from a gift of jewelry from a
romantic partner. In romantic
relationships, jewelry frequently represents commitment, fidelity, or renewal.
However, jewelry can also represent accomplishments, such as
graduations, or rites of passage. When I
graduated from Louisiana State University, my father honored that accomplishment
by buying me a class ring. Because of
its unique design, people occasionally ask if the ring is a family heirloom. I reply that it will be one day.
When my daughter was born, to honor me, my mother-in-law
gave me jewelry--a pair of earrings.
Years ago, I lost one, but I still have the other. Nevertheless, the joy I received from the
gift was not halved. When my daughter had
her first child, I gave her a pair of birthstone earrings to honor her and to
link her to her grandmother. Over the
years, I have gifted birthstone earrings to my two sisters and to my niece,
thus providing further joy to the women in my family.
Gifts of jewelry are appropriate year-round and mark many
different aspects of life in addition to romance. Let me encourage everyone who gives gifts of
jewelry to remember the fun, playful quality of jewelry. Enjoy!
LAGNIAPPE: Scholars
(and people like me) believe that Chaucer’s Parliament
of Fowls is the first Valentine’s Day poem written—or at least in
existence. The poem is a dream vision in
which the narrator falls asleep and dreams he is present at a gathering of birds,
held on 14 February, where the birds will choose their mates—perhaps a medieval
version of “on-line” dating! In the
process, the birds discuss various aspects of love.
