Where does “재미있다” come from?

재미있다 (Korean) comes from Korean 있다, from Middle Korean 잇다, from Old Korean 有叱 — to be [at]; to exist; to have.

재미있다 (Korean): amusing; entertaining; funny; interesting

Definitions

  1. amusing; entertaining; funny; interesting

Ancestry of “재미있다”, step by step

재미있다 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 있다

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean있다to stay, remain in a location
2Middle Korean잇다to be (at a place); to exist
3Old Korean有叱to be [at]; to exist; to have

via Korean 재미

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean재미fun; enjoyment
2Korean자미—
Every word from Old Korean 有叱 →Every word from Middle Korean 잇다 →Every word from Korean 있다 →
재미있다 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer