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"joy" in seven languages

Meaningjoy

Spanish

alegría

/aleˈgɾia/

fem.other source · from alegre 'cheerful' ← spoken *ALECRUM, Latin ALACREM 'lively'

Gozo (← GAUDIUM) is the literary 'joy, delight'.

French

joie

/ʒwa/

fem.inherited

Italian

gioia

/ˈdʒɔja/

fem.borrowed · Old French joie

Also 'jewel' — something that gives joy.

Portuguese

alegria

/aleˈɡɾiɐ/

fem.other source · from alegre 'cheerful' ← spoken *ALECRUM, Latin ALACREM 'lively'

Romanian

bucurie

/bukuˈrie/

fem.other source · from bucura 'to rejoice', of uncertain origin

Catalan

alegria

/ələˈɡɾiə/

fem.other source · from alegre 'cheerful' ← spoken *ALECRUM, Latin ALACREM 'lively'

Joia exists but is literary — and also means 'jewel'.

English

joy

/dʒɔɪ/

from Latin/French · Old French joie

English → ItalianjoygioiaCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

GAUDIA‘joys (neuter plural, read as a feminine singular)’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Latin's plural GAUDIA 'joys' was reinterpreted as one feminine 'joy', which French made joie; Italian borrowed it from the troubadours' world. Spanish prefers alegría, from ALACER 'brisk', the source of English alacrity.

English relatives: joy, enjoy, rejoice (via French); gaudy

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In a sentence

  • es¡Qué alegría verte!
  • frQuelle joie de te voir !
  • itChe gioia vederti!
  • ptQue alegria te ver!
  • roCe bucurie să te văd!
  • caQuina alegria veure't!
  • enWhat a joy to see you!

More in Feelings

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