Drollness
/ˈdroʊl.nəs/noun
The quality of being oddly amusing, quaint, or whimsically funny.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from French and earlier Germanic roots tied to a “rogue” or “wretch,” so its charm has a faint shadow of mischief baked into it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*drullō-
“A rogue, knave, or troublesome person”
Old French
OF
drole
“A funny, odd, or mischievous fellow”
Middle French
MF
drôle
“Odd, amusing, or comically peculiar”
16th Century
English
droll
“A jester, buffoon, or amusingly odd person”
17th Century
English
drollness
“The quality of being whimsically funny or oddly amusing”
Modern English
English
drollness
“The quality of being oddly amusing, quaint, or whimsically funny”