Merry
/ˈmɛr.i/noun
Cheerful, lively, or full of festive good humor.
Did you know?The word’s history is ordinary rather than occult, but it’s a great example of how emotional meanings can survive while the old form of a word fades into the background.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meryo-
“pleasing, agreeable”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mērijaz
“pleasing, delightful”
Old English
English
myrġe
“pleasant, agreeable, delightful”
Middle English
English
mery
“pleasant, cheerful, joyous”
Modern English
English
merry
“cheerful, lively, festive”