Exceptional Expressions Posted 01/23/2010 Permanent Link
#19 Happy
EVERYDAY EVENTS:
This week’s Exceptional Expression for Everyday Events studies the word happy. A teacher may be happy with the way a group of students’ works quietly and diligently on their reading assignment. Students may also feel happy because they received an “A” on the aforementioned reading assignment. In either example, someone is feeling different degrees of happiness during the school day.
The word happy is an excellent word to explore on a word line. There are subtle differences in how happy a person feels.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPRESSION:
The word happy has numerous meanings. First, the word happy can be used to signify a state of being, such as a person who is in high spirits or in a positive mood. This usage of the word happy is descriptive (adjective) of a person’s general feeling or attitude.
Happy can also be used to describe a situation that is fortunate or lucky. For instance, an occurrence can be considered happy because it is beneficial to us in one way or another, such as rain letting up so that kids can play outside.
A person may also use the word happy to describe something that is merely apt or suitable. An example of this usage is when a teacher tells a student that it would make him/her happy if the student turned his paper in on time. The teacher, in this case, is not saying that he/she would be ecstatic if the student turned his paper in on time, rather that it would be suitable or appropriate if the student did so.
FOLLOW-UPS:
- What is the difference between being happy and ecstatic?
- When do we use the word happy when we actually mean appropriate or suitable?
- How might we describe various degrees of happiness within the classroom?
THE SPANISH CONNECTION:
The word happy comes from an Early Middle-English word hap. It is believed that hap is an adaptation of an Old Norse word, happ, which means chance, or good luck. The Spanish word for happy is feliz. Although feliz is not a cognate of happy, feliz is related to other words in English such as felicity or felicitous.
WORD CHANGES:
1) IDIOMS:
- Happy camper
- A happy medium
- Happy go lucky
- Happy as a clam
- On cloud nine
- Seventh heaven
- Over the moon
2) COMMON PHRASES:
- Happy Birthday
- Happy ending
- Happy to help
- Couldn’t be happier
- In high spirits
Click here to download the printable version of E4: Happy.
