merry English · revision 16163

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=before 899, Alfred's Boethius|origins=ine-pro *mréǵʰus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈmɛɹi/; /ˈmɛəɹi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|murie]] (later [[m|enm|mirie]], [[m|enm|mery]]),^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) [[inh|ang|myriġe|t=pleasing, agreeable]],^(AHD 2024)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026) from [[gem-pro|*murgijaz]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Ayto 2005) cognate with [[goh|murg|t=short]] and [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=gamaurgjan|t=to shorten]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Klein 1966) and outside Germanic with [[grc|βραχύς|tr=brakhús|t=short]] and [[la|brevis|t=short]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966)^(OED 2026) from [[ine-pro|*mréǵʰus|t=short]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2024) The leap from "short" to "pleasant" is explained as making time seem short by passing it pleasantly,^(Ayto 2005)^(Klein 1966)^(Barnhart 1988) compare [[non|skemta|t=to amuse oneself]] from [[m|non|skammr|t=short]], and [[de|Kurzweil|t=amusement]], literally "short while".^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921) The modern spelling ''merry'' is a Kentish form.^(Weekley 1921) ''[[mirth]]'' is from the same base.^(Ayto 2005)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Pleasing, agreeable, delightful, of things: Old English, before 899, in Alfred's translation of Boethius.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old and Middle English ''merry'' described pleasant things rather than happy people: pleasant music, places, weather (as in a ''merry wind'' for sailing) and looks, senses that died out between 1275 and 1785.^(OED 2026) The sense "full of lively enjoyment" emerged in the 14th century,^(Ayto 2005)^(Hoad 1986) and of a tale or jest, amusing, from about 1390, in Chaucer.^(OED 2026)^(Hoad 1986) "Slightly drunk" is from the 16th century^(Hoad 1986) and is still British informal use.^(Collins 2023) ''[[merriment]]'' is from 1576, and ''[[merry-andrew]]'', a clown, from 1673, in Dryden.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 899 – pleasing, agreeable.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 2026)

+ * before 1200 – ''murie'', joyous.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1390 – of a tale, amusing.^(OED 2026)

+ * 16th century – tipsy.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1576 – ''merriment''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1673 – ''merry-andrew''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Cheerful and lively; full of fun and good spirits.^(AHD 2024)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(British informal)'' Slightly [[drunk]].^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Pleasant, delightful.^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[merrily]]

+ * [[merriness]]

+ * [[merriment]]

+ * [[merry-go-round]]

+ * [[merrymaker]]

+ * [[merrymaking]]

+ * [[merry-andrew]]

+ * [[merrythought]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mirth]]

+ * [[brief]]

+ * [[brevity]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In dialect a different ''merry'' is the wild cherry; it comes from [[fr|merise]], a blend of ''amer'' (bitter) and ''cerise'' (cherry), whose final ''s'' was taken for a plural.^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024)^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}