delighted
/dɪˈlaɪtɪd/
adjective
Origin
Latin
delectare — to charm, please, or allure
Overview
Meaning Now
- Feeling or showing great pleasure or satisfaction.
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
delite
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The spelling of 'delight' was influenced by the erroneous association with the word 'light' (as in luminosity), despite the term having no etymological connection to light or brightness.
Evolution
- Latin
delectare
“to please”
- Old French
deliter
“to delight”
Influenced by Latin 'deliciis' (pleasures).
- Middle English
deliten
“to please greatly”
- Modern English
delighted
“feeling great pleasure”
Past participle used as an adjective.
Connections
Word parts
delight
root
pleasure or satisfaction
-ed
suffix
forming an adjective from a past participle
Related across languages
French
délecter
to delight
Spanish
deletrear
to spell (distinct evolution)
Related words
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Related to delighted
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.