brook (n.)

New York City borough, named for village founded there 1646 and named for Dutch township of Breukelen near Utrecht; which is from Old High German bruoh "moor, marshland." The spelling of U.S. place name was influenced by brook (n.), which probably is distantly related. Related: Brooklynese.

late 14c., enjoien, "rejoice, be glad" (intransitive), from stem of Old French enjoir "give joy, rejoice, take delight in," from en- "make" (see en- (1)) + joir "enjoy," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy (n.), and compare joy (v.), which is the older verb).

The sense of "have the use or benefit of" (property) is recorded from early 15c.; also in this sense enjoice (c. 1400), replacing native brook (v.). The transitive meaning "take pleasure in" is from mid-15c.

It tends to lose its connection with pleasure: media photo captions say someone enjoys an ice cream cone, etc., when all she is certainly doing is eating it, and Wright's "English Dialect Dictionary" (1900) reports widespread use in north and west England of the phrase to enjoy bad health for one who has ailments.

The meaning "have sexual relations with" (a woman) is from 1590s. Related: Enjoyed; enjoys; enjoying. To enjoy oneself "feel pleasure or satisfaction in one's mind" is attested by 1708.