Meaning

noun the emotion of great happiness

noun something or someone that provides a source of happiness

verb feel happiness or joy

originThe noun is from Middle English joye, borrowed from Old French joie, from Late Latin gaudia, neuter plural (mistaken as feminine singular) of Latin gaudium (“joy”), from gaudēre (“to be glad, rejoice”). Doublet of jo and gaudy (“Oxford college reunion”). Displaced native Old English ġefēa. The interjection is from the noun. The verb is from Middle English joyen, joȝen, joien, from Old French…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0