A couple of days ago I talked about how we think of the word cheer as being associated with happiness. But — it wasn’t always that way.
Originally, a cheer was something to be seen, not heard — and sometimes the sight was one of sadness.
Cheer is a word adapted from Anglo-French, which itself is derived from the Medieval Latin cara and probably the Greek kara. All of those source words mean “face.” The English word cheer (often found in medieval writings in the form chere) shares that meaning.
That came to refer to a person’s facial expression as well as to a person’s state of mind, heart, or spirit. So a person’s cheer could run the emotional gamut from happiness to sadness depending on the circumstances. It wasn’t until the 1300s that people began associating cheer more often with a state or feeling of happiness rather than sadness or despondency.
Next time you’re out with friends, and have had a few “cheers,” you might mention how cheer meant “face” in medieval times and how cheer as a word for happiness is a relatively recent development.
And I guess before we leave the subject, because “Cheers” is often associated with a toast, it might be appropriate to talk about toasting….
The term toast — having a drink to one’s health, happiness, or accomplishment, comes from the literal practice of dropping a piece of toast in your drink. In the 16th century, it was a common practice to add a piece of scorched or spiced toast to wine. The bread would help to soak up some of the acidity and improve the flavor of poor or cheap wine. As a bonus, it would also help to soften the stale bread. If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you may remember that in the Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff called for a quart of wine and said, “put a toast in it.”
By the 18th century, the term toast had come to mean a person honored by the toast, rather than an actual floating piece of bread. You’ve probably heard some particularly famous or popular people referred to as “the toast of the town.”
So, in the spirit of the season, gather round, and raise a toast and cheers to happiness, good health, and a better year ahead.
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