What is the Latin word for joke?

The usual Latin words for “joke” are iocus, facētia, sāl; also logos, iocātiō, lūdus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“joke” in Latin

iocusa joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport facētiajest, wit, humour sālsalt; wit; brine, salt water, the sea logosa word; idle talk, empty chatter; a witticism, bon mot iocātiōjoke, jest lūdusa school, especially a primary school; game, sport, play; public spectacle, games, stage plays/productions animadvertōto pay attention, attend, focus, concentrate, give heed to, consider, regard, observe; to notice, observe, take note (of iocorto joke, jest; to play ioculārisfunny, jocular, amusing; facetious, laughable, droll āmoveōto remove from, move, put, or take away; to withdraw, retire; to take away by stealth, steal, or snatch

The English word joke itself goes back to Latin iocus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

joke s.

jocus (in plur., joca, the usual form, in Cic., Sall.; joci in Liv., and following prose writers). (The words are found in this connection and order.) ludus et jocus (ludus, relating to playful actions): facetiae (facetious sallies, etc.): sales (pungent witticisms): logus or logos (puns, etc.; omnes logos, qui ludis dicti sunt, animadvertisse, Cic., ap. Non., 63, 18); ridicule dicta; jocationes. A little joke, joculus: a dull joke, jocus frigidus: to cut dull jokes, in jocis frigidum esse (Quint.): a rude joke, jocus illiberalis: a saucy joke, jocus petulans: in joke, per jocum: per ludum et jocum: per ridiculum: joco: joculariter (e.g., objicere alicui aliquid). In joke or in earnest, per jocum aut severe: do you say this in joke or in earnest? jocone an serio hoc dicis? to say anything in joke, jocari aliquid; dicere aliquid per jocum: it was only a joke, jocabar: to be cutting jokes, joculari (*Liv., 7, 10, extr.); joca agere; with anybody, cum aliquo: to cut jokes on one another, inter se jocularia fundere or ridicula jactitare (Liv., 7, 2): to cut a joke, jocari: joco uti; about anything, jocari in aliquid: not to understand a joke, jocum (or quod per jocum dictum est) in serium convertere: to deal in rude jokes, *illiberaliter jocari: to convey truths under the form of jokes, ridicula sententiose dicere: the Greeks make a joke of swearing and giving false witness, Graecis jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus: does that seem to you a good joke? itane lepidum videtur? I now come to your jokes, nunc venio ad jocationes tuas (Cic.).

joke v.

jocari: joco uti: joca agere (with anybody, cum aliquo): joculari (Liv.); ridicula dicere; at anything, jocari in aliquid; at anybody, jocosa dicta jactare in aliquid. [Vid: “to cut JOKE (s)”]. Joking apart, amoto or remoto joco; amoto ludo (†); omissis jocis; extra jocum: but let us have done with joking, sed ridicula missa (sc. faciamus).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for joke?: The usual Latin words for “joke” are iocus, facētia, sāl; also logos, iocātiō, lūdus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.