Happy
/ˈhæpi/noun
Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
Did you know?The word 'happy' is linked to the Old Norse word 'happ', meaning 'chance' or 'luck', suggesting that happiness was once seen as a fleeting fortune.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeḱ-
“to be strong, to be able”
Old English
Old English
hap
“chance, fortune, luck”
Old Norse
Old Norse
happ
“luck, chance”
Middle English
Middle English
hapie
“having good fortune, fortunate”
Modern English
English
happy
“feeling pleasure or contentment, especially due to favorable circumstances”