mid-14c., "unintelligible talk, gibberish; chattering, jabbering," from Old French jargon "a chattering" (of birds), also "language, speech," especially "idle talk; thieves' Latin" (12c.). Ultimately of echoic origin (compare Latin garrire "to chatter").

From 1640s as "mixed speech, pigin;" 1650s as "phraseology peculiar to a sect or profession," hence "mode of speech full of unfamiliar terms." Middle English also had it as a verb, jargounen "to chatter" (late 14c.), from French.

1520s, "to make a brief, harsh, grating sound," often in reference to bird screeches; the word often is said to be echoic or imitative; compare jargon (n.), jay (n.), garrulous. Figurative sense of "have an unpleasant effect on" is from 1530s; that of "cause to vibrate or shake" is from 1560s. Related: Jarred; jarring. As a noun in this sense from 1540s.

"the jargon of school administrators," 1966, from education + -ese.

abbreviation of chrysanthemum, by 1915 in the jargon of gardeners.

"in order," 1951, originally in aerospace jargon, from go (v.).

1973, in computer jargon, from bit (n.2) + map. Literally, a map of bits.

1983, in computer jargon; also cd-rom; from compact disc read-only memory.

1939, in educational jargon (opposed to progressivism), from essential + -ism. Related: Essentialist.

1860, American English, from factional + -ism. Prominent up 1930s-1950s in communist jargon.

1962, American English, Cold War jargon, from Chinese + communist.