"One of the functions of humor is to help all of us take ourselves less seriously. Humor is the divine antidote for exaltation of ego." - The Urantia Papers
Originally, to have good humor did not mean to joke often or often laugh at other's jokes, but basically meant to be in a state of cheerfulness.Hilarity: 1440, from L. hilaritas (gen. hilaritatis) "cheerfulness, gaiety," from hilaris "cheerful, gay," from Gk. hilaros, related to hilaos "graceful, kindly." In ancient Rome, Hilaria (neut. pl. of hilaris) were a class of holidays, times of pomp and rejoicing; there were public ones in honor of Cybele at the spring equinoxes as well as private ones on the day of a marriage or a son's birth. - etymonline.com
Humor: 1340, "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Anglo-Norm. humour, from O.Fr. humor, from L. umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false assoc. with humus "earth"), related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet." In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1525); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1682, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1565), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1588. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] Humorous in the modern sense is first recorded 1705. For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926]. - etymonline.com
Comedy: late 14c., from O.Fr. comedie, from L. comoedia, from Gk. komoidia "a comedy, amusing spectacle," from komodios "singer in the revels," from komos "revel, carousal" + oidos "singer, poet," from aeidein "to sing." The classical sense is similar to the modern one, but in the Middle Ages the word came to mean poems and stories generally (albeit ones with happy endings), and the earliest Eng. sense is "narrative poem" (cf. Dante's "Commedia"). Comedy aims at entertaining by the fidelity with which it presents life as we know it; farce at raising laughter by the outrageous absurdity of the situation or characters exhibited; extravaganza at diverting by its fantastic nature; burlesque at tickling the fancy of the audience by caricaturing plays or actors with whose style it is familiar. Generalized sense of "quality of being amusing" dates from 1877. - etymonline.com
Comedian did not originally mean humorous entertainer, joker or prankster, but comic poet. One who could raise laughter and make light with poetic narrative.
Comedian: 1580s, "comic poet," later (c.1600) "stage actor in comedies," also, generally, "actor," from Fr. comédien, from L. *comoedianos, from comoedia (see comedy). Meaning "professional joke-teller, etc." is from 1898. - etymonline.com
While trying to spread cheer or hilarity we use some very telling terminology. We tell others to lighten' up when we wish to lighten' mood and we make light-hearted remarkes to make light of situations.
Light (adj.): "not heavy," from O.E. leoht, from P.Gmc. *lingkhtaz (cf. O.N. lettr, Swed. lätt, O.Fris., M.Du. licht, Ger. leicht, Goth. leihts), from PIE base *le(n)gwh- "light, easy, agile, nimble" (cf. L. levis "light;" see lever). The notion in make light of (1526) is of "unimportance." Alternative spelling lite, the darling of advertisers, is first recorded 1962. Light-fingered "thievish" is from 1547; light-headed "dizzy" is from 1537; light-hearted "cheerful" is from c.1400. Light-weight is 1773 in pugilism and horse-racing; figurative sense of "inconsequential" first attested 1809. Light-skirts "woman of easy virtue" is attested from 1597. - etymonline.com
Light (v.): "touch down," from O.E. lihtan "to alight," from P.Gmc. *linkhtijan, lit. "to make light," from *lingkhtaz "not heavy" (see light (adj.)). Apparently the ground sense is "to dismount a horse, etc., and thus relieve it of one's weight." To light out "leave hastily" is 1870, from a nautical meaning "move out, move heavy objects," of unknown origin but perhaps belonging to this word. - etymonline.com
Light (n.): "brightness," O.E. leht, earlier leoht, from W.Gmc. *leukhtam (cf. O.Fris. liacht, M.Du. lucht, Ger. Licht), from PIE *leuk- "light, brightness" (cf. Skt. rocate "shines;" Arm. lois "light," lusin "moon;" Gk. leukos "bright, shining, white;" L. lucere "to shine," lux "light," lucidus "clear;" O.C.S. luci "light;" Lith. laukas "pale;" Welsh llug "gleam, glimmer;" O.Ir. loche "lightning," luchair "brightness;" Hittite lukezi "is bright"). The -gh- was an Anglo-Fr. scribal attempt to render the O.E. hard -h- sound, which has since disappeared. The fig. spiritual sense was in O.E.; the sense of "mental illumination" is first recorded c.1449. Meaning "something used for igniting" is from 1684. Lighthouse is from 1622; light bulb is from 1884. The verb is from O.E. lyhtan (cf. O.S. liohtian, Ger. leuchten, Goth. liuhtjan). - etymonline.com
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