Blythfull

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Archaic term describing someone who is full of gladness, merriment and cheerful spirits
2. Old-fashioned word for being happy, lighthearted and gleeful in mood or manner
3. Characterizing a person or mood that is joyous, carefree and bright, as used in older English

Etymology: Blythfull is simply the Middle English-era adjective "blithe" with the suffix "-full" added, meaning "full of blitheness." "Blithe" comes from Old English "blithe," meaning gentle, kind, pleasant, or joyful, related to German "mild" and Dutch "blij," which still means glad. The sense of cheerful gaiety came later, so the original meaning was closer to mild and kindly. The suffix "-full" also has a history of its own: it was once a full, independent word meaning "filled up," and it gradually weakened into a suffix that means "having a lot of" or "characterized by." Pairing it with "blithe" produced a word that was emphatic and cheerful, rather than merely pleasant. Blythfull is an uncommon form, and it is recorded mainly in older English texts, where it appears alongside the more common "blithful" and "blithesome." Its use faded as "blithe" itself became more poetic and less everyday.