jocund

English

Etymology

From Old French jocond, from Latin iūcundus (“pleasant, agreeable”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: jo‧cund
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɒkənd/, /ˈd͡ʒəʊkənd/

  • Audio (Southern England)

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• (US) enPR: jäkʹənd, jōʹkənd, IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɑkənd/, /ˈd͡ʒoʊkənd/

Adjective

jocund (comparative more jocund, superlative most jocund)

1. Jovial; exuberant; lighthearted; merry and in high spirits; exhibiting happiness.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], Romeo and Juliet.  (First Quarto), London: Iohn Danter, published 1597, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:

     Nights candles are burnt out, and iocond Day / Stands tiptoes on the myſtie mountaine tops.

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 12, column 2:

     Thou mak'ſt me merry: I am full of pleaſure, / Let vs be iocond. Will you troule the Catch / You taught me but whileare?

   • 1612, [Miguel de Cervantes], Thomas Shelton, transl., “Which Treates of the Strange Aduentures that Hapned to the Knight of the Mancha, in Sierra Morena: And of the Penance He Did there, in Imitation of Belti Nebros”, in The History of the Valorous and Wittie Knight-errant Don-Quixote of the Mancha. , London: William Stansby, for Ed Blount and W. Barret, →OCLC, part 3, page 243:

     There was once a widdow faire, young, free, rich, and withall very pleaſant and iocund, that fell in loue with a certaine round and well-ſet ſeruant of a Colledge: […]

   • 1827, Lydia Sigourney, Poems, Toil, page 107:

     First in his train is jocund Health,
     Content, who o'er her distaff sings,
     And from the plough that honest Wealth
     Which scorns the tear-bought robe of kings.—

   • 1876 June, Mark Twain, “The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut”, in The Atlantic‎:

     I was feeling blithe, almost jocund.

Derived terms

• jocundity
• jocundly
• jocundness

Translations