Comedy
/ˈkɒm.ə.di/noun
A genre of entertainment intended to amuse or make people laugh.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek kōmōidía, a term tied to kōmos, a drunken festive procession honoring Dionysus, so comedy’s roots are literally in sacred revelry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keh₂m-
“to lie down, rest, or be laid”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kômos
“a festive revel, procession, or drunken celebration”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ōidḗ
“song”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kōmōidía
“a revel song; later, a comic play”
Latin
Latin
comoedia
“a comedy, comic drama”
Old French
Old French
comédie
“a comedy; a dramatic work with a happy ending”
Modern English
English
comedy
“humorous entertainment or a comic genre”