Where does “pleasantry” come from?
Pleasantry derives from French plaisanterie, formed from French plaisant with the suffix French -erie, ultimately tracing back through French -er, Latin -are, Latin -o, Latin -us, Old Latin -os, and Proto-Italic -os.
pleasantry (English): A casual, courteous remark; A playful remark; a...
Definitions
- A casual, courteous remark; A playful remark; a...
Ancestry of “pleasantry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | pleasant | Giving pleasure; pleasing in manner; Facetious,... |
| 2 | Middle English | plesaunte | — |
| 3 | Old French | plaisant | present participle of plaire; pleasant; nice;... |
| 4 | Old French | plaire | alternative infinitive of plaisir; to please |
| 5 | Latin | placēre | — |