Hilaritas
/hɪˈlɑːrɪtæs/noun
Cheerfulness, merriment, or good humor.
Did you know?Hilaritas comes from the same deep Indo-European root as words for being cheerful and thriving, and it later became the name of a Roman virtue personified as a goddess of gladness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰel-
“to shine, gleam, or be bright”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἱλαρός (hilarós)
“cheerful, gracious, merry”
Classical Latin
Latin
hilaris
“cheerful, merry, lively”
Classical Latin
Latin
hilaritas
“cheerfulness, merriment, good humor”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
hilaritas
“cheerfulness; also used as a personal virtue or abstract quality”
Modern English
English
hilarity
“boisterous merriment or laughter”