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joie

Etymology and origin of the French word joie

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (goie)
Inherited from
Latin gaudium
Ultimate origin
Latin (gaudium)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin gaudium
French joie
French joyeux

Pronunciation

Forms

joie f (plural joies)[1] Old French goie (about 1050), joie (1080); the Académie wrote joye in 1694 and 1718, joie from 1740.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin gaudia (“joys”), the plural of the neuter “gaudium” “contentment, pleasure, joy”, which was common in familiar Latin and in late times was taken as a feminine singular.[3][2][4][5][6] “Gaudium” is derived from gaudeō (“to rejoice”), whence jouir.[2][7] South of a line from the Loire to the Vosges the Gallo-Romance forms, and the Italian and Hispanic ones, continue the masculine “gaudium” instead, Old French also had a masculine “joi”.[3][2]

Compare Occitan joia, Catalan goig and Spanish gozo, from “gaudium”.[7][8] Italian gioia was borrowed from French, as was English joy.[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) goie is a feeling of intense happiness; the Chanson de Roland (about 1100) uses it for the outward signs of that feeling and for its cause: Il l'abat mort, paien en ont grant joie.[3][2][8]

Semantic evolution

Early on it also named the joys of heaven (les goies del ciel, early 12th century).[3] Its Latin sense of amorous pleasure, a caress (Chrétien de Troyes) and joie d'amour (1188), has disappeared except in fille de joie (1389, femme de joie in the 13th century).[3][2] Until the 16th century it could also mean a jewel, by association with joyau, a sense kept in Spanish joya, borrowed from French.[2]

Public rejoicing survives only in dialects and in feu de joie (1549).[2] Phrases include mettre en joie (1549), fausse joie and s'en donner à cœur joie (1680).[2] Ironic joies “troubles” go back to the Quinze Joyes de mariage (15th century), and the spoken c'est pas la joie “it's no fun” is now common.[9][2] The greeting comment va la joie ? is found from 1695.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Goie, in the Vie de saint Alexis.[2][3]
  • c. 1100 – Joie in the Chanson de Roland.[3]
  • c. 1170 – Amorous pleasure, in Marie de France.[3]
  • 1225–30 – A source of joy, Guillaume de Lorris.[3]
  • 1389 – Filles de joye.[3]
  • 1549 – Feu de joie and mettre en joie.[2]
  • 1680 – S'en donner à cœur joie.[2]
  • 1695 – Comment va la joie ?.[10]
  • 1740 – The Académie spells it joie.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. joy; a deep, intense feeling of happiness: pleurer de joie, être fou de joie, la joie de vivre.[7][11][12]
  2. Something that gives joy: c'est une joie de les voir, faire la joie de quelqu'un.[12][9]
  3. In polite formulas, pleasure: j'accepte avec joie, se faire une joie de.[12][9]
  4. (ironic) Les joies de: the troubles of, c'est pas la joie, it is no fun.[2][9]
  5. (dated) Rejoicing: feu de joie, a bonfire, fille de joie, a prostitute.[2]

Word family

  • joyeux
  • joyeusement
  • joyeuseté
  • rabat-joie

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 80b
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  11. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Derived terms

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Joie.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/joie. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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