Etymology Map
Back to all words

Delight

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means great pleasure

Where does the word "delight" come from? It comes from Latin delectare, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
delectare
Latin · ancient
"to charm"
a frequentative of 'delicere', to allure
2
Stage 2 of 3
delit
Old French · medieval
"pleasure"
spelled 'delite' in English until the 1500s
3
Stage 3 of 3
delight
English · 1200s
"great pleasure"
the 'gh' was added by analogy with 'light', though the words are unrelated
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Delight’s story begins in Latin: delectare meant “to charm.” A frequentative of 'delicere', to allure. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as delit. Spelled 'delite' in English until the 1500s. It reached English by 1200s as delight. The 'gh' was added by analogy with 'light', though the words are unrelated. Today, delight means great pleasure.