'Happy Thanksgiving'
2023-11-17
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1Americans will soon celebrate Thanksgiving.
2The holiday involves family, friends and food.
3A common expression Americans say to each other at this time of year is "Happy Thanksgiving."
4In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will pay careful attention to the first word in the expression: happy.
5You will learn about the history and usage of this common, five-letter adjective - and its related noun form.
6Let's start.
7We can bring words to life by learning about their histories.
8In this way, words become like close friends - we know their backgrounds, their beginnings, and how they have changed over time.
9Happy is - and always has been - a positive word.
10The Online Etymology Dictionary says the word dates to the 1300s.
11At the time, it meant "lucky, favored by fortune... prosperous" as well as "very glad."
12Soon after, it came to mean "greatly pleased and content."
13The Dictionary also tells us that the majority of the words for "happy" in European languages first meant "lucky."
14From the word happy, we also have a noun form: happiness.
15When we compare the adjective "happy" with the noun "happiness," we find that English speakers use "happy" much more often.
16That information comes from Google's Ngram Viewer, an online database that examines thousands of books.
17We have learned a little about the history of the adjective "happy."
18So, how do English speakers use it in modern times?
19Perhaps the most common usage is after linking verbs.
20These are verbs that link their subjects with their predicates.
21Adjectives are commonly used after linking verbs to describe the subject.
22Google's Ngram Viewer says some of the most common structures involve the verb BE.
23For example, you are very likely to hear or read: "I am happy," or "he was happy."
24We also use "happy" with other kinds of linking verbs - feel, seem, and others.
25Happy is also used with intensifiers - words that make an adjective stronger.
26Two of the most common, Google's Ngram Viewer tells us, are "so" and "very."
27These intensifiers are then used along with linking verbs.
28Consider these examples:
29You look so happy!
30We are very happy.
31They seem so happy.
32In all of these examples, the structure is linking verb + intensifier + happy.
33A few final words on the modern usage of "happy."
34You are also likely to hear the adjective "happy" used to express kind wishes around some holidays - Thanksgiving, for one.
35In America, you will often hear statements such as this:
36Happy Thanksgiving!
37These statements are a kind of sentence fragment, or an incomplete sentence.
38There is no subject.
39The subject and main verb are understood between the speakers.
40A complete sentence would be "I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving" or "I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving."
41We shorten these sentences because the first part is understood.
42That is how we arrive at "Happy Thanksgiving."
43In today's report, we explored one word: happy.
44You learned about its history and common usages with linking verbs and intensifiers as well as holiday wishes.
45You may or may not celebrate Thanksgiving where you live.
46But we can end this lesson by wishing you a very happy day.
47I'm John Russell.
1Americans will soon celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday involves family, friends and food. 2A common expression Americans say to each other at this time of year is "Happy Thanksgiving." 3In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will pay careful attention to the first word in the expression: happy. You will learn about the history and usage of this common, five-letter adjective - and its related noun form. 4Let's start. 5A helpful way to learn words 6We can bring words to life by learning about their histories. In this way, words become like close friends - we know their backgrounds, their beginnings, and how they have changed over time. 7Happy is - and always has been - a positive word. 8The Online Etymology Dictionary says the word dates to the 1300s. At the time, it meant "lucky, favored by fortune... prosperous" as well as "very glad." Soon after, it came to mean "greatly pleased and content." The Dictionary also tells us that the majority of the words for "happy" in European languages first meant "lucky." 9From the word happy, we also have a noun form: happiness. 10When we compare the adjective "happy" with the noun "happiness," we find that English speakers use "happy" much more often. 11That information comes from Google's Ngram Viewer, an online database that examines thousands of books. 12Modern usages 13We have learned a little about the history of the adjective "happy." So, how do English speakers use it in modern times? 14Perhaps the most common usage is after linking verbs. These are verbs that link their subjects with their predicates. Adjectives are commonly used after linking verbs to describe the subject. 15Google's Ngram Viewer says some of the most common structures involve the verb BE. For example, you are very likely to hear or read: "I am happy," or "he was happy." 16We also use "happy" with other kinds of linking verbs - feel, seem, and others. 17Happy is also used with intensifiers - words that make an adjective stronger. Two of the most common, Google's Ngram Viewer tells us, are "so" and "very." 18These intensifiers are then used along with linking verbs. Consider these examples: 19You look so happy! 20We are very happy. 21They seem so happy. 22In all of these examples, the structure is linking verb + intensifier + happy. 23A few final words on the modern usage of "happy." You are also likely to hear the adjective "happy" used to express kind wishes around some holidays - Thanksgiving, for one. 24In America, you will often hear statements such as this: 25Happy Thanksgiving! 26These statements are a kind of sentence fragment, or an incomplete sentence. There is no subject. The subject and main verb are understood between the speakers. 27A complete sentence would be "I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving" or "I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving." 28We shorten these sentences because the first part is understood. That is how we arrive at "Happy Thanksgiving." 29Closing thoughts 30In today's report, we explored one word: happy. You learned about its history and common usages with linking verbs and intensifiers as well as holiday wishes. 31You may or may not celebrate Thanksgiving where you live. But we can end this lesson by wishing you a very happy day. 32I'm John Russell. 33John Russell wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 34_______________________________________ 35Words in This Story 36fortune - n. something that happens by chance; the good and bad things that happen to someone 37prosperous - adj. having success usually by making a lot of money 38glad - adj. feeling pleasure, joy, or delight 39predicate - n. the part of a sentence that expresses what is said about the subject