comedy
UK[ˈkɒmədi]US[ˈkɑːmədi]
n
a play, film, or television program that is intended to make people laugh, especially one with a happy ending.
n
the humorous or amusing aspects of something; the genre of drama that deals with such aspects.
Etymology
the word 'comedy' entered english in the late 14th century via old french 'comedie', from latin 'comoedia', which itself was borrowed from ancient greek 'kōmōidía'. the greek term is a compound of 'kōmos' (revel, merrymaking) and 'aoidos' (singer) or 'ōidē' (song, ode), literally meaning a 'revel song'. this origin reflects the form's beginnings in ancient athens as a festive, often boisterous performance contrasting with the more solemn tragedy. over centuries, through roman and later european theatrical traditions, the meaning evolved from its specific ritualistic context to denote any dramatic work with a light, humorous tone and a conventionally happy conclusion, eventually broadening further to encompass any humorous genre or situation.
Analysis
the word 'comedy' is a simplex loanword from latin and greek, where its spelling and meaning were adopted as a whole unit into english. it is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable english morphemes.
Examples
shakespeare wrote both tragedy and comedy.
the film is a romantic comedy about two rival chefs.
there's a fine line between comedy and tragedy in his latest novel.