Jez is an English diminutive of Jeremy, itself a medieval vernacular form of the Hebrew name Jeremiah. The root name Jeremiah comes from the Hebrew יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu), meaning "Yahweh will exalt," combining the elements rum (to exalt) and yah (referring to God). Jeremiah is a major prophet in the Old Testament, traditionally credited with writing the Book of Jeremiah and Lamentations, and he witnessed the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. In England, the use of Jeremy and its diminutives emerged in the 13th century, though the biblical form Jeremiah only became common after the Protestant Reformation. Among these nicknames are Jem, Jemmy, Jere, Jerry, Jezza, and Jez. Variants in other languages include Ermias (Amharic), Jeremiah (Biblical), Jeremias (Portuguese), Jeremy (Biblical), Ieremias (Biblical Greek), and Yirmeyahu (Biblical Hebrew). While primarily a masculine short form, Jez also appears as a slang term in Multicultural London English, deriving from a clipping of Jezzy (itself from Jezebel) and used as a derogatory noun for a promiscuous woman. This dual usage gives Jez both an informal, friendly familiarity as a nickname and a coarse slang meaning in certain dialects. Pronounced /dʒɛz/ (rhyming with "fez"), it neatly mirrors the cheerful brevity common in English abbreviations. Meaning: Diminutive of Jeremy, ultimately meaning “Yahweh will exalt.” Origin: Hebrew, via Latin and Old French through the biblical name Jeremiah. Type: Diminutive/nickname of Jeremy. Usage regions: English-speaking world; also found as slang in Multicultural London English. Related variants: Gem, Jemmy, Jerry, Jezza; cognates in Amharic, Greek, Portuguese, Hebrew.