fun

[Possibly from fon, to make a fool of, from Middle English fonnen, to fool, possibly from fonne, fool.]

Usage Note: The use of fun as an attributive adjective, as in a fun time, a fun place, most likely originated in a playful reanalysis of the use of the word in sentences such as It is fun to ski, where fun behaves syntactically like an adjective such as amusing or swell. The usage became popular in the 1950's and 1960's, though there is some evidence to suggest that it has 19th-century antecedents. Certainly the sense of this word makes it particularly susceptible to jocular treatment. But as with other such reanalyses (for example, in the expression a whole 'nother), the usage appears to have persisted after the original flavor had been lost. Thus there is no intimation of humorous intent in a press release that announces: The corporation believes that a spelling bee is a fun way to emphasize the critical importance of good basic communication skills in America's workplace. The day may come when this usage is entirely unremarkable, just as the word talkative has lost all taint of its originally jocular formation from the attachment of a Latinate suffix to a native Anglo-Saxon root. At present, however, the attributive use of fun may still raise eyebrows, and writers who want to stay on the safe side are advised to avoid it in contexts in which a light tone would not be appropriate.

[Middle English enogh, from Old English genōg.]