yodel

Where does the word "yodel" come from? It comes from Swiss German jodeln, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Yodel’s story begins in Swiss German: jodeln meant “to sing with rapid pitch changes.” Imitative of the rapid pitch-shifting singing style of the Alps. It reached English by 1800s as yodel. German 'jodeln', from the syllable 'jo'; Tyrolean singing troupes toured Britain and America in the 1820s–30s. Today, yodel means to sing with rapid alternation between the chest voice and falsetto.

1. Stage 1 · Swiss German · medieval jodeln "to sing with rapid pitch changes", imitative of the rapid pitch-shifting singing style of the Alps.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s yodel "to sing with rapid shifts between chest and falsetto voice", German 'jodeln', from the syllable 'jo'; Tyrolean singing troupes toured Britain and America in the 1820s–30s.