Etymologically
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joyeux

Etymology and origin of the French word joyeux

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʒwa.jø/[1]

Forms

joyeux (feminine joyeuse, masculine plural joyeux, feminine plural joyeuses)[1] Old French feminine goiuse (about 1050), joiuse (1080), masculine joüs, joieus (about 1200); the spelling joyeux is from about 1360–1375, in Froissart.[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is formed from French joie + -eux.[5][1] The noun continues Latin gaudia, the neuter plural of gaudium (“joy”), common in familiar Latin and taken as a feminine singular.[6] The Grand Robert compares Latin iūcundus,[4] and Wiktionary gaudiōsus;[1] Littré thought that Latin iocōsus (“playful”) might also have played a part.[7] Cognate with Occitan joyos and Italian gioioso.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) has the feminine goiuse for a person who feels joy; about 1100 the Chanson de Roland names Charlemagne's sword Joiuse, “the joyful one”.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “full of joy, breathing joy” appears in Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain (1172), and about 1200 the Châtelain de Coucy uses it of what expresses joy.[5][2] From the sense “bringing joy” came joyeux advenement, the joyful accession of a king, in Froissart, and the old droit de joyeux avènement, a tax paid to a new king.[5][7] Mener joyeuse vie, to lead a life of pleasure, is recorded by Furetière in 1690, and un joyeux luron in the 20th century.[2] As a noun it once named a pastry (1469); by antiphrasis les joyeux were the soldiers of the African disciplinary battalions (1855), and in slang les joyeuses are the testicles (1881).[3][8]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Goiuse in the Vie de saint Alexis.[5]
  • c. 1100 – Joiuse, the name of Charlemagne's sword.[5]
  • 1172 – “Full of joy”, in Chrétien de Troyes.[5]
  • c. 1360–1375 – The spelling joyeux.[2][3]
  • 1469 – A pastry called joyeux.[3]
  • 1690 – Mener joyeuse vie, in Furetière.[2]
  • 1855 – Joyeux, a soldier of the African disciplinary companies.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Feeling joy; Joyful, merry: ils sont partis joyeux.[9][5]
  2. Fond of laughing and enjoying oneself: un joyeux luron, une joyeuse bande.[9][2]
  3. Expressing joy: des cris joyeux, une joyeuse ambiance.[9][2]
  4. Bringing joy: une joyeuse nouvelle, joyeux Noël ![9][7]
  5. Mener joyeuse vie: to lead a life of pleasure.[9][7]

Noun

  1. (military slang, dated) A soldier of the African light infantry battalions (bataillons d'Afrique).[8][3]
  • joie
  • joyeusement
  • joyeuseté
  • réjouir
  • rabat-joie
  • Latin gaudium

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h 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
  6. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  9. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Joyeux.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/joyeux. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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