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Where does the word "hilarious" come from? It comes from Greek hilaros, passing through Latin before entering English (1820s).
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Where does the word "hilarious" come from? It comes from Greek hilaros, passing through Latin before entering English (1820s).
Hilarious’s story begins in Greek: hilaros meant “cheerful.” Greek, the root of 'hilarity'. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as hilaris. Also gave the names Hilary and Hilaire. It reached English by 1820s as hilarious. The sense 'extremely funny' dates from the 1900s. Today, hilarious means extremely funny.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient hilaros "cheerful", Greek, the root of 'hilarity'.
- Stage 2 · Latin · ancient hilaris "cheerful", also gave the names Hilary and Hilaire.
- Stage 3 · English · 1820s hilarious "cheerful", the sense 'extremely funny' dates from the 1900s.