Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “revelry” come from?

Revelry comes from Middle English revelen, from Old French revel, from Latin revelare meaning to unveil or reveal, composed of the prefix re- and bellus meaning beautiful.

revelry (English): Joyful or riotous merry-making

Definitions

  1. Joyful or riotous merry-making

Ancestry of “revelry”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrevelAn instance of merrymaking; a celebration; A kind...
2Middle EnglishrevelenTo revel; to merry-make or entertain oneself; To...
3Middle Frenchrévéler—
4Old Frenchrevelerto revel; to be disorderly, to make merry; to...
5Latinrevelarepresent active infinitive of revēlō;...
6Latinvelarepresent active infinitive of vēlō; second-person...
7LatinveloI cover, wrap, veil; I conceal, cover
8Latin-oforms masculine agent nouns, positive and...
9Proto-Italic-ōd—
10Proto-Indo-European-éad—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éad →