iocus

Iocus, in classical Latin grammar ioci, is a masculine noun of the second declension meaning a joke, jest, or playful remark. It can also denote a pastime or sport pursued in a humorous sense. The principal forms are: singular iocus, ioci, ioco, iocum, ioco; plural ioci, iocorum, iocis, iocos, iocis.

Usage in Latin covers both a concrete joke or witticism and the broader idea of jesting, repartee, or playful banter. It appears in dialogues and narratives to signal humor, to set a lighter tone, or to describe a jest in action. In rhetorical and philosophical Latin, iocus can describe a witty remark used to illustrate a point or to soften argument; the opposite would be seriousness.

In literary contexts, the term occurs in works by authors such as Plautus and Terence, where characters exchange ioci as part of comic plots; in Cicero, iocus or iocum appears in orations to denote a light-hearted digression or humorous aside. The word is thus a common stock term for humor and lightness within Latin prose and poetry.

Modern usage and legacy: In contemporary scholarly Latin, iocus remains the standard lexeme for “joke” or “jest.” It has yielded adjectives such as iocosus, meaning jocose or amusing, and continues to appear in linguistic and philological discussions of Latin humor and wit.