# "JOY"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 12, 2000, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123 "2000-12-12T01:56:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DonJuanDeMarco3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DonJuanDeMarco3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonJuanDeMarco3)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123/1 "2000-12-12T01:56:01Z")

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I have heard about the word “JOY” being the earliest word something something something. I think it is either the earliest printed word or earliest written english. I was just wonder if anyone knows what is the deal with “Joy”

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123/2 "2000-12-12T15:02:23Z")

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It’s sucky dish soap, for one thing.

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123/3 "2000-12-12T15:27:06Z")

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We’re gonna do this in very small steps. Fun.

My WAG is that it derives from the French _joie_, meaning, well, “joy”.

Fighting Ignorance in First Gear. Who’s next?

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**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123/4 "2000-12-12T15:41:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Coldfire \*  
> \*\*We’re gonna do this in very small steps. Fun.
> 
> My WAG is that it derives from the French _joie_, meaning, well, “joy”. \*\*

And French “joie” is derived from Latin “gaudeum” which is from Latin “ **gaudere** ”. Maybe it’s a Great Debate. 🙂

Well, that would lead one to infer that it can hardly be the earliest written English, exactly, and the earliest printed _word_, is not really likely to be in an English form anyway, I suppose.

And I suppose it depends what is meant by print…

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**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2000, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joy/45123/5 "2000-12-12T16:01:05Z")

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Maybe it’s the first word on the first christmas card?