Pleasure

     Pleasure: a word we hear all the time, but do we really know its all-encompasssing meaning? The way I see it, most, if not all of us, do not. The mystery behind the entire denotation of this word is what draws me to it. I believe that, like most words, the colloquial usage of the word pleasure no longer includes its true, original, and intended meaning. As a result, I decided that I wanted to delve further into the multiple meanings that this word might hold and discover the history behind the word pleasure. As I begin my research, this word, as a noun, is a synonym for happiness or satisfaction (the phrases "being with my family causes me great pleasure" and "being with my family causes me great happiness" are logically equivalent). Moreover, it also is used as an adjective to signify something done simply for fun and not for business or work (the phrase "pleasure reading" means reading for solely enjoyment and not for school, work, or the like). Additionally, it is used as a verb to mean to give sexual enjoyment or satisfaction ("the female received a tremendous amount of pleasure the night she stayed at home with her boyfriend" is a phrase that currently possess an obvious sexual connotation). Lastly, in English today, there are a few different phrases in which the word pleasure is used--examples are "I would have the pleasure of escorting you to dinner," "it would be my pleasure to write a letter for you," "she takes pleasure in causing trouble," "she asked him to wash the dishes, and he responded, 'with pleasure'," and many more. Prior to beginning my research, listed above is what this word means to me; however, as I have an inkling that this is not all this word has meant since its first recording, I am excited to begin my research and deduce its meanings throughout the ages.