JavaScript
/ˈdʒɑː.vəˌskrɪpt/noun
A programming language commonly used to create interactive behavior in web pages and applications.
Did you know?JavaScript was originally called LiveScript, but Netscape renamed it in 1995 during Java’s explosive popularity; despite the shared name, the languages are technically unrelated.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skribh-
“To cut, scratch, or write; the reconstructed root behind later writing terms.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
scrībere
“To write or inscribe.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
scrīptum
“Something written; a written document or text.”
9th–10th Century
Arabic/Indonesian usage
Jāwa
“Java, the Indonesian island; the name’s deeper origin is debated, with a possible connection to Sanskrit Yava-dvīpa.”
14th Century
English
script
“Writing, handwriting, or a written text, borrowed through Old French from Latin.”
1995
English
JavaScript
“Netscape’s renamed programming language, originally developed as LiveScript and associated with Java for commercial appeal.”
Modern English
English
JavaScript
“A widely used programming language for interactive web and software development.”