Jiggle
/ˈdʒɪɡ.əl/noun
To move or shake with small quick motions.
Did you know?“Jiggle” is an expressive English formation, and its doubled, bouncing sound is part of the meaning: the word imitates the action it describes.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
jiggle
“to shake or move with a light, quick motion”
16th Century
English
jig
“a lively dance; also a light, tripping motion”
Middle English
English
gigge / jiggen
“to move briskly; to dance or skip”
Old English
English
giccan
“to twitch or jerk (attested in related Germanic forms; exact line is uncertain)”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gig- / *jig-
“an expressive base associated with quick, jerky movement”