Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “glee” come from?

Glee comes from Middle English gle, from Old English glēo, from Proto-Germanic glīwą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰlew-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰel-.

glee (English): Joy; happiness great delight, especially from...

Definitions

  1. Joy; happiness great delight, especially from...

Ancestry of “glee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgle—
2Old Norsegleðja—
3Old Norse-ja—
4Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
5Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
7Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “glee”

  • gleefully
  • gleeful
  • gleesome
  • gleefulness
  • gleemaiden
  • gleeless
  • glee club
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