means A book or record where you regularly write down events, thoughts, or observations — or, in publishing, a periodical of news or scholarship.

from From Old French 'jurnal,' meaning 'daily,' which traces back to Latin 'diurnalis,' from 'dies,' 'day' — the same root that gives us 'diurnal' and 'diary.' A journal was originally something done or recorded day by day, which is why both your private notebook and a daily newspaper share the name.