# Juke



## rolmich

Hello,
A Japanese car manufacturer recently called one of its new models "Juke"
which means in hebrew slang, if I am not mistaking, "cocroach".
Where does this word come from ?
Thanks in advance.


----------



## OsehAlyah

שלום וברכה

I don't have an answer for you. However, the spelling of the word ג'וּק seems to include the geresh/chupchik on top of the gimmel which makes it clear that it is a foreign word. There is an identical word in Russian Жук  (JOOK). The first letter is pronounced like a French G, think of the name Gerard. And it means a Beetle.
Now let's wait for people in the know to chime in.


----------



## rolmich

Thanks for your help OsehAlyah. This is a very popular word I hear daily in Israël.
The first letter is not pronounced here as you suggest, but rather like the first letter of Jeremiah (djuk).


----------



## OsehAlyah

Yes of course. As all words that have a gimmel with the geresh on it are pronounced. My pronunciation sentence referred to the Russian pronunciation only. That particular pronunciation still doesn't exist in Hebrew, as far as I understand.


----------



## yuval9

According to Wikipedia:


> מרוסית: Жук ("ז'וּק") דרך היידיש: דזשוק, 'חיפושית'.



The word came from Russian (Жук), through Yiddish (דזשוק)​


----------



## rolmich

Thanks yuval9, but in modern hebrew it does not mean "beetle" or "bug" !
Could it be translated as "cockroach" then ?


----------



## yuval9

rolmich said:


> Thanks yuval9, but in modern hebrew it does not mean "beetle" or "bug" !
> Could it be translated as "cockroach" then ?


Yes, ג'וק is how most people say "a cockroach", it is more colloquial.
"cockroach" is also תיקן or מקק.


----------



## rolmich

Thanks for your help, and happy calendar new-year.


----------



## Aulhan

Interesting there is a saying in Ulster-Scots 'Jook the beetle' meaning to dodge a job or punishment. I wonder is there some connection?


----------



## origumi

Aulhan said:


> Interesting there is a saying in Ulster-Scots '*Jook* the beetle' meaning to dodge a job or punishment. I wonder is there some connection?


Is this an English or Scottish (Gaelic) word?

--- Added

According to etymonline.com, Jook: "dodge, duck," 1510s, Scottish, of unknown origin.


----------



## Aulhan

In brief its a minority language spoken only in the province of Ulster. Its derived from germanic lowland scots and anglo saxon english. if you are interested you can find greater detail at the ulster scots language website


----------

