Etymology

jive

J8I1V4E1

Today it means: To deceive; to be deceptive. Full definition →

Wolof jev
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The story

  1. Wolof · derived fromjev
  2. English todayjive

Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.