mirth

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The emotion usually following humor and accompanied by laughter.

   But sorrow that is couch'd in seeming gladness Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.

2. 2
   noun

   That which causes merriment.

   Phantasmal mirth, folded away: muskperfumed.

From Middle English merth, myrthe, murhthe, from Old English myrġþ (“mirth, joy”), from Proto-West Germanic *murgiþu (“briefness, brevity”); equivalent to merry + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch merchte (“pleasure, joy, delight”).

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