Joviality
/ˌdʒoʊ.viˈæl.ə.ti/noun
Cheerful good humor or a lively, convivial mood.
Did you know?Joviality comes from Latin Iovialis, meaning “of Jupiter,” and in Renaissance astrology Jupiter was the planet of abundance, generosity, and merry temperament—so the word began as a kind of celestial personality imprint.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dyeu-
“to shine; sky, daylight, the bright heavenly god”
Latin
Latin
Iuppiter / Iovis
“Jupiter, the Roman sky and thunder god”
Late Latin
Latin
iovialis
“of Jupiter; under Jupiter’s influence”
Middle French
French
jovial
“cheerful, good-humored; originally astrologically “under Jupiter””
16th Century
English
jovial
“cheerful, merry, good-humored”
17th Century
English
joviality
“the quality of being jovial, cheerful sociability”
Explore more surprising origins