'joyfully' originates from the Old French word 'joie,' which meant 'joy,' combined with the suffix '-ful' to form 'joyful,' and then '-ly' to form the adverb 'joyfully.'

'joie' transformed into the Middle English word 'joye,' and eventually became the modern English word 'joy.'

Initially, it meant 'full of joy,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.