mirth
English
Etymology
From Middle English merth, myrthe, murhthe, from Old English mergþ, mirgþ, myrgþ (“mirth, joy”), from Proto-Germanic *murgiþō (“briefness, brevity”); equivalent to merry + -th.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /mɜɹθ/, [mɝθ]; enPR: mûrth
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /mɜːθ/
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θ
Noun
mirth (usually uncountable, plural mirths)
- The emotion usually following humour and accompanied by laughter; merriment; jollity; gaiety.
- 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:
- And he began to laugh again, and that so heartily, that, though I did not see the joke as he did, I was again obliged to join him in his mirth.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 2, in The Mirror and the Lamp[1]:
- She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.
- 1912, Willa Cather, The Bohemian Girl:
- 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:
- That which causes merriment.
- 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
- Phantasmal mirth, folded away: muskperfumed.
- 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
merriment
|
that which causes merriment
|
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English myrgþ.
Noun
mirth
- Alternative form of myrthe
Etymology 2
Derived from myrthe (noun).
Verb
mirth
- Alternative form of myrthen
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms suffixed with -th
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)θ
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- en:Happiness
- Middle English terms inherited from Old English
- Middle English terms derived from Old English
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Middle English verbs