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Where does the word "enjoy" come from? It comes from Latin gaudere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "enjoy" come from? It comes from Latin gaudere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Enjoy’s story begins in Latin: gaudere meant “to rejoice.” The root of 'joy' and 'gaudy'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as enjoir. 'en-' plus 'joir', to rejoice. It reached English by 1300s as enjoy. 'enjoy!' as an interjection is a Yiddish-influenced Americanism. Today, enjoy means to take pleasure in.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient gaudere "to rejoice", the root of 'joy' and 'gaudy'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval enjoir "to give joy", 'en-' plus 'joir', to rejoice.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s enjoy "to take pleasure in", 'enjoy!' as an interjection is a Yiddish-influenced Americanism.