jovial

Etymology

Borrowed 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^(key): /ˈdʒəʊ.vɪ.əl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /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.
   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 16, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     “[…] 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.”

Further reading

• 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

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gioviale, from Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒɔvjal/, /ʒovjal/
• Homophones: joviale, joviales

Adjective

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

1. jovial, jolly

Further reading

• “jovial” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /joˈviaːl/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

jovial

1. jovial

Further reading

• jovial in Duden online

Etymology

From German jovial, from Latin jovialis.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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

1. jovial

References

“jovial” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From German jovial, from Latin jovialis.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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

1. jovial

References

“jovial” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ioviālis.

Adjective

jovial m, f (plural joviais, comparable)

1. jovial; merry, cheerful

Etymology

From Latin ioviālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xoˈbjal/, [xoˈβjal]

Adjective

jovial (plural joviales)

1. Jovian
2. cheerful, jovial

Further reading

• “jovial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.