Humour
/ˈhjuː.mə/noun
A quality or state of mind, or a mood that can also mean wit or comic amusement.
Did you know?The old medical theory of the four humors claimed that blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile shaped temperament—so “humour” began as a theory of bodily fluids before becoming a word for mood and comedy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷʰeh₂-
“to pour, flow”
Latin
Latin
humor
“moisture, fluid”
Old French
OF
humeur
“bodily fluid; temperament, disposition”
Middle English
English
humour
“bodily fluid; state of mind, mood”
Modern English
English
humour
“mood, temperament; comedy, wit”