Where does “gaiety” come from?
Gaiety comes from French gaieté, derived from Old French gai, which traces through Old Occitan gai to Latin Gaius, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ-.
gaiety (English): The state of being happy or merry; Merrymaking or...
Definitions
- The state of being happy or merry; Merrymaking or...
Ancestry of “gaiety”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | gaieté | gaiety |
| 2 | French | gai | cheerful; merry; gay; homosexual |
| 3 | Old French | gai | happy; cheerful; gay |
| 4 | Old Occitan | gai | happy; joyous |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ganhuz | fast, quick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰengʰ- | to walk; to step |