joy (n.)

late 14c., enjoien, "rejoice, be glad" (intransitive), from stem of Old French enjoir "give joy, rejoice, take delight in," from en- "make" (see en- (1)) + joir "enjoy," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy (n.), and compare joy (v.), which is the older verb).

The sense of "have the use or benefit of" (property) is recorded from early 15c.; also in this sense enjoice (c. 1400), replacing native brook (v.). The transitive meaning "take pleasure in" is from mid-15c.

It tends to lose its connection with pleasure: media photo captions say someone enjoys an ice cream cone, etc., when all she is certainly doing is eating it, and Wright's "English Dialect Dictionary" (1900) reports widespread use in north and west England of the phrase to enjoy bad health for one who has ailments.

The meaning "have sexual relations with" (a woman) is from 1590s. Related: Enjoyed; enjoys; enjoying. To enjoy oneself "feel pleasure or satisfaction in one's mind" is attested by 1708.

c. 1300, rejoisen, "to own (goods, property), possess, enjoy the possession of, have the fruition of," from Old French rejoiss-, present participle stem of rejoir, resjoir "gladden, rejoice," from re-, which here is of obscure signification, perhaps an intensive (see re-), + joir "be glad," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy (n.)). Also compare joy (v.)); rejoy (early 14c.) also was used.

It is attested from mid-14c. in a transitive sense of "make joyful, gladden." The intransitive meaning "be full of joy" is recorded from late 14c. To rejoice in "be glad about, delight in" is from late 14c. Also in 15c.-16c. "to have (someone) as husband or wife, to have for oneself and enjoy." Related: Rejoiced; rejoicing.