jovial

English

WOTD – 11 May 2008    

Etymology

From French jovial, from Italian gioviale, from Latin ioviālis, from Iovis (“Jove”), i.e. Jupiter, the planet which was thought by astrologers to bring jollity.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈdʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/, X-SAMPA: /dZ@U.vI.@l/
• (US) IPA: /ˈdʒoʊ.vɪ.əl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

jovial (comparative more jovial, superlative most jovial)

1. (obsolete) Pertaining to Jove or Zeus; Jovian.
2. (obsolete) Pertaining to the planet Jupiter; Jovian.
3. (astrology, obsolete) Under the influence of the planet Jupiter (considered a source of happiness).
4. Merry; cheerful and good-humored.

Translations

merry, cheerful

• Catalan: jovial (ca)
• Dutch: joviaal (nl), gemoedelijk (nl)
• French: jovial (fr)
• German: heiter (de), jovial (de), fröhlich (de)
• Hungarian: joviális (hu), vidám (hu)

• Polish: jowialny m, wesoły m
• Portuguese: jovial (pt) m and f
• Russian: весёлый (ru) (vesjólyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: žovijalan (sh)
• Spanish: jovial (es), alegre (es)

Related terms

• Jove
• Jovian

External links

• jovial in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• jovial in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• jovial at OneLook Dictionary Search

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French

Etymology

From Italian gioviale, from Latin iovialis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʒɔvjal/, /ʒovjal/
• Homophones: joviale, joviales

Adjective

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

1. jovial, jolly

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German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /joˈviaːl/

Adjective

jovial

1. jovial

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /xoˈβjal/

Adjective

jovial m and f (plural joviales)

1. Jovian
2. cheerful, jovial