Etymologically
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pleasant

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈplɛz.ənt/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English plesaunt, borrowed from Old French plaisant (“pleasing, agreeable”), the present participle of plaisir (“to please”) (see please),[2][3][4] from Latin placēre (“to be acceptable, be liked”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pleasing, agreeable: 1375 in the OED, about 1378, in Piers Plowman, in Barnhart;[5][2] the late 14th century in Etymonline, also pleasing to God.[3] Plesent is a surname from 1320.[2]

Semantic evolution

Of persons, charming or gracious, is from the late 14th century,[3] 1560 in the OED.[5] Humorous or merry is from 1530,[5] amusing or ridiculous from 1583,[5] and tipsy from 1596, senses now obsolete.[5] Pleasantry, fun or joking, is from 1655, and a polite remark from 1701.[2]

Timeline

  • 1375 – pleasing.[5]
  • 1530 – merry (obsolete).[5]
  • 1560 – of agreeable manners.[5]
  • 1655 – pleasantry.[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Giving pleasure; enjoyable or agreeable: a pleasant evening.
  2. Friendly and likeable in manner.
  3. Of weather, fine and mild.

Word family

  • pleasantly
  • pleasantness
  • pleasantry

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press