Where does “jollity” come from?
Jollity comes from Middle English jolyfte, from Old French joliveté, derived from Old French jolif, which was borrowed from Old Norse jól, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European yekə-.
jollity (English): The state of being jolly; cheerfulness; Revelry...
Definitions
- The state of being jolly; cheerfulness; Revelry...
Ancestry of “jollity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | jolyfte | — |
| 2 | Old French | joliveté | joyfulness; gaiety |
| 3 | Old French | jolif | pretty; attractive |
| 4 | Old French | -if | -ive |
| 5 | Latin | -īvus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |