Wiktionary

jovial

See also: Jovial

English

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WOTD – 11 May 2008, 25 September 2019

Etymology

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The planet Jupiter photographed on 12 February 2019 by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Juno spacecraft. The word jovial can mean “pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter” (sense 2).

Borrowed from French jovial (“jolly, jovial”), from Italian gioviale (“jolly, jovial; (obsolete) born under the influence of the planet Jupiter”), from Latin ioviālis (“relating to the Roman god Jupiter”), from Iuppiter, Iovis (“the Roman god Jove or Jupiter, counterpart of the Greek god Zeus”) (from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- (“to be bright; heaven, sky”)) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); analysable as Jove +‎ -ial.[1]

Sense 1 (“cheerful and good-humoured”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter were believed to have that disposition.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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jovial (comparative more jovial, superlative most jovial)

  1. (comparable) Cheerful and good-humoured; jolly, merry.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:happy
    Antonyms: saturnine; see also Thesaurus:sad
    • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London: [s.n.], 1870], →OCLC, page 161:
      A melancholy boddy is not the kindeſt nurſe for a chearely minde, (the joviall complexion is ſoverainly beholding to nature,) […]
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Democritvs Ivnior to the Reader”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, page 57:
      The moſt ſecure, happy, Ioviall & merry in the worlds eſteeme, are Princes & great men, free from melancholy, but for their cares, miſeries, ſuſpicions, Iealoſies, diſcontents, folly, & madneſſe, I referre you to Xenophons Tyrannus, where king Hieron diſcourſeth at large with Simonides the Poet, of this ſubject.
    • 1711 March 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, March 2, 1710–1711”, in The Spectator, number 2; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 88:
      But being ill-used by the above-mentioned widow, he was very serious for a year and a half; and though, his temper being naturally jovial, he at last got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dressed afterwards.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1790 August, “Art V. The Devil upon Two Sticks in England: Being a Continuation of Le Diable Boiteux of Le Sage. 12mo. 4 Vols. about 230 Pages in each. 12s. Sewed. Walter, Piccadilly. 1790. [book review]”, in The Monthly Review; or, Literary Journal, Enlarged, volume II, London: Printed for R[alph] Griffiths; and sold by T[homas] Becket, […], →OCLC, page 392:
      [I]n polite ſocieties, he is the eaſy, well-bred man of faſhion; and, in the more convivial parties, he is the jovial companion.
    • 1797, Richard Graves, “On the Death of an Epicure”, in Select Epigrams. In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Printed by and for Sampson Low, […]; and sold by W. H. Lunn, […], →OCLC, page 31:
      At length, my friends, the feaſt of life is o’er; / I’ve eat ſufficient, I can drink no more: / My nigh is come; I’ve ſpent a jovial day; ’Tis time to part; but, oh!—what is to pay?
    • 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Five. The End of It.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 154–155:
      Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!
    • 1905 January 12, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “Lord Grenville’s Ball”, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, popular edition, London: Greening & Co., published 20 March 1912, →OCLC, page 115:
      A long, jovial, inane laugh broke the sudden silence which had fallen over everyone.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXXIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 267:
      She takes the whole thing with desperate seriousness. But the others are all easy and jovial—thinking about the good fare that is soon to be eaten, about the hired fly, about anything.
    • 1951 December, Rock Island Lines News Digest, volume X, number 12, Chicago, Ill.: Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company, →OCLC, page 1:
      [A] jovial Santa Claus with an understanding heart and an attentive ear— […]
  2. (not comparable, astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Jupiter; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see sense 1).
    • 1682, Joseph Blagrave, “[The Effects of Directions.] The Ascendant to the Body of Jupiter.”, in Obadiah Blagrave, editor, Blagrave’s Introduction to Astrology. In Three Parts. […], London: Printed by E. Tyler, and R. Holt, for Obadiah Blagrave, […], →OCLC, part III, page 226:
      This Planet [Jupiter] being a Fortune, and Friend unto nature, inclineth the native, upon this direction, not only unto healthfulneſs, but alſo to be jovial and merry, affable and pleaſant, and to delight in the company of religious men: […] [T]his direction importeth good from jovial perſons, and is an excellent time to have dealings with, or to receive any courteſie from, or benefit by them, […]
    • 1852, William Lilly, Zadkiel [pseudonym; Richard James Morrison], “Of the Fourth House, and Judgments Depending thereon”, in An Introduction to Astrology […]: A Grammar of Astrology, and Tables for Calculating Nativities. […], London: H[enry] G[eorge] Bohn, […], →OCLC, page 145:
      As ☉ is near to a ⚹ of ♃, so did a jovial man endeavour to procure the purchase (after I began), but ♃ is cadent and in detriment, which shewed he should not prevail.

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “jovial, adj.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1901; “jovial, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ^ Hall, Joseph Sargent (1942 March 2) “2. The Vowel Sounds of Unstressed and Partially Stressed Syllables”, in The Phonetics of Great Smoky Mountain Speech (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 4), New York: King's Crown Press, →DOI, →ISBN, § II.2, page 65.

Further reading

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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jovial m or f (masculine and feminine plural jovials)

  1. cheerful, jovial

Derived terms

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Further reading

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Italian gioviale, from Latin ioviālis. Unrelated to joie.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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jovial (feminine joviale, masculine plural joviaux, feminine plural joviales)

  1. jovial, jolly
    Near-synonym: gai

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • ⇒ Czech: žoviální

Further reading

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German

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French jovial, from Italian gioviale, from Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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jovial (strong nominative masculine singular jovialer, comparative jovialer, superlative am jovialsten)

  1. jovial

Declension

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Positive forms of jovial
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist jovial sie ist jovial es ist jovial sie sind jovial
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative jovialer joviale joviales joviale
genitive jovialen jovialer jovialen jovialer
dative jovialem jovialer jovialem jovialen
accusative jovialen joviale joviales joviale
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der joviale die joviale das joviale die jovialen
genitive des jovialen der jovialen des jovialen der jovialen
dative dem jovialen der jovialen dem jovialen den jovialen
accusative den jovialen die joviale das joviale die jovialen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein jovialer eine joviale ein joviales (keine) jovialen
genitive eines jovialen einer jovialen eines jovialen (keiner) jovialen
dative einem jovialen einer jovialen einem jovialen (keinen) jovialen
accusative einen jovialen eine joviale ein joviales (keine) jovialen
Comparative forms of jovial
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist jovialer sie ist jovialer es ist jovialer sie sind jovialer
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative jovialerer jovialere jovialeres jovialere
genitive jovialeren jovialerer jovialeren jovialerer
dative jovialerem jovialerer jovialerem jovialeren
accusative jovialeren jovialere jovialeres jovialere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der jovialere die jovialere das jovialere die jovialeren
genitive des jovialeren der jovialeren des jovialeren der jovialeren
dative dem jovialeren der jovialeren dem jovialeren den jovialeren
accusative den jovialeren die jovialere das jovialere die jovialeren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein jovialerer eine jovialere ein jovialeres (keine) jovialeren
genitive eines jovialeren einer jovialeren eines jovialeren (keiner) jovialeren
dative einem jovialeren einer jovialeren einem jovialeren (keinen) jovialeren
accusative einen jovialeren eine jovialere ein jovialeres (keine) jovialeren
Superlative forms of jovial
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am jovialsten sie ist am jovialsten es ist am jovialsten sie sind am jovialsten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative jovialster jovialste jovialstes jovialste
genitive jovialsten jovialster jovialsten jovialster
dative jovialstem jovialster jovialstem jovialsten
accusative jovialsten jovialste jovialstes jovialste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der jovialste die jovialste das jovialste die jovialsten
genitive des jovialsten der jovialsten des jovialsten der jovialsten
dative dem jovialsten der jovialsten dem jovialsten den jovialsten
accusative den jovialsten die jovialste das jovialste die jovialsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein jovialster eine jovialste ein jovialstes (keine) jovialsten
genitive eines jovialsten einer jovialsten eines jovialsten (keiner) jovialsten
dative einem jovialsten einer jovialsten einem jovialsten (keinen) jovialsten
accusative einen jovialsten eine jovialste ein jovialstes (keine) jovialsten

Further reading

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  • “jovial” in Duden online
  • “jovial” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology

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From German jovial, from Latin jovialis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ju.vi.aːl/, [jʊ.ʋɪ.ˈaːl]
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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jovial (neuter singular jovialt, definite singular and plural joviale)

  1. jovial

References

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“jovial” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology

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From German jovial, from Latin jovialis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ju.vi.aːl/, [jʊ.ʋɪ.ˈaːl]

Adjective

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jovial (neuter singular jovialt, definite singular and plural joviale)

  1. jovial

References

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“jovial” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

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  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ʒo.viˈaw/ [ʒo.vɪˈaʊ̯], (faster pronunciation) /ʒoˈvjaw/ [ʒoˈvjaʊ̯]
 

  • Rhymes: -al, -aw
  • Hyphenation: jo‧vi‧al

Adjective

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jovial m or f (plural joviais)

  1. jovial; merry, cheerful

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French jovial.

Adjective

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jovial m or n (feminine singular jovială, masculine plural joviali, feminine and neuter plural joviale)

  1. jocose

Declension

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singular plural
masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
nominative-
accusative 		indefinite jovial jovială joviali joviale
definite jovialul joviala jovialii jovialele
genitive-
dative 		indefinite jovial joviale joviali joviale
definite jovialului jovialei jovialilor jovialelor
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Spanish

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Etymology

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From Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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jovial m or f (masculine and feminine plural joviales)

  1. Jovian
  2. cheerful, jovial
    Synonym: jocundo

Derived terms

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Further reading

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