jovial English · revision 172
5 Oct 2026, 22:11 by bogdan “Add pronunciation, sense history, timeline, meanings, word family, related words” current version
Changes in this edit
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+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ˈd͡ʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/ ''(UK)''; /ˈd͡ʒoʊ.vɪ.əl/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)
+
==Etymology==
− First recorded in the 1580s in the sense “under the influence of the planet Jupiter”,^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[bor|frm|jovial]],^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) [[der|it|gioviale]],^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[der|la-lat|Ioviālis|t=of Jupiter]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD) from Latin ''Iovis'', Jupiter.^(AHD)^(Wiktionary)
+ It is [[bor|frm|jovial]],^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) [[der|it|gioviale]],^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary) [[der|la-lat|Ioviālis|t=of Jupiter]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD) from Latin ''Iovis'', Jupiter.^(AHD)^(Wiktionary)
− The sense “good-humoured, merry” comes from the astrological belief that those born under the planet Jupiter have such a disposition.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ In astrology, “under the influence of the planet Jupiter” (1580s),^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) which as a birth planet was supposed to exert a happy influence.^(RHWU)^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ The sense “good-humoured, merry” comes from the astrological belief that those born under the planet Jupiter have such a disposition.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It is recorded from 1596 as “merry, jolly, convivial”.^(OED 1989) With a capital the word also meant “of Jove”, Jove-like and majestic,^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) and in alchemy it referred to tin, a sense now obsolete.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1590 – astrological, “under the influence of Jupiter”.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1596 – “merry, jolly, convivial”.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1604 – “of Jove; majestic”.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1665 – “of the planet Jupiter”.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1694 – in alchemy, “of tin”, now obsolete.^(OED 1989)
+
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Good-humoured and cheerful; hearty and convivial.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(capitalized)'' Of the god Jove (Jupiter).^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Word family==
+ * [[joviality]]
+ * [[jovially]]
+ * [[jovialness]]
+ * [[unjovial]]
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[Jove]]
+ * [[Jovian]]
+
+ ==Usage notes==
+ ''Jovial'' suggests hearty, joyous good humour;^(RHWU) ''jocose'' suggests playful jesting;^(RHWU) ''jocular'' means humorous or waggish;^(RHWU) and ''jocund'', now a literary word, suggests light-hearted gaiety.^(RHWU)
==References==