'Jew' originates from Hebrew, specifically the word 'Yehudi', where the element 'Yehud' referred to 'Judah' (the region or tribe).

'Yehudi' (Hebrew) passed into Greek as 'Ioudaios', then into Latin as 'Iudaeus', into Old French (e.g. 'giu'/'juieu'), and eventually became the Middle English word 'Jew', leading to the modern English 'Jew'.

Initially it meant 'a member of the tribe or kingdom of Judah', but over time it evolved into the broader modern meaning of 'a member of the Jewish people' or 'an adherent of Judaism'.