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James¹, Saint. Known as "the Great." Died AD 44.

One of the 12 Apostles. The son of Zebedee and brother of John, he preached in Spain and was martyred on his return to Judea.

James², Saint. Known as "the Just." Died c. AD 62.

Traditionally regarded as the brother of Jesus, the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and the first bishop of Jerusalem.

James³, Saint. Known as "the Less." fl. first century AD.

One of the 12 Apostles.

James

(jāmz)

See Table at Bible.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin Iacomus, variant of Iacōbus, Iacobus; see JACOB.]

James, C(yril) L(ionel) R(obert) 1901-1989.

Trinidadian author noted for his Marxist writings and his novel Minty Alley (1936).

James, Etta Originally Jamesetta Hawkins. 1938-2012.

American singer best known for her blues-inflected vocal style on recordings of popular songs such as "At Last" (1961).

James, Jesse Woodson 1847-1882.

American outlaw. After fighting in the Civil War as a Confederate guerrilla, he led a group of armed brigands that for 15 years robbed banks and trains in the West. He was murdered by a member of his own gang.

James, Henry 1843-1916.

American writer and critic whose works frequently concern the confrontation of American and European culture. A pioneer in psychologically realistic fiction, he wrote numerous novels, such as The Bostonians (1886) and The Golden Bowl (1904).

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Henry James

James, William 1842-1910.

American psychologist and philosopher. A founder of pragmatism and functionalism, he developed an approach to intellectual issues that greatly influenced American thought. His works include The Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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