Questions about Joke

Short answers, pulled from the story.

What is the oldest identified joke in human history and when was it recorded?

A Sumerian proverb from 1900 BC contains the oldest identified joke in human history. This record dates back to the Old Babylonian period and may go as far back as 2300 BC.

Who commissioned the research into historical jokes in 2008 and what were their requirements?

British TV channel Dave commissioned a team of academics led by humour expert Paul McDonald from the University of Wolverhampton to research these examples in 2008. Their condition required a clear set-up and punch line structure to qualify as a joke.

When was the earliest extant joke book written and how many jokes does it contain?

The earliest extant joke book is the Philogelos, written in crude ancient Greek during the fourth or fifth century AD. This collection contains 265 jokes and translates to The Laughter-Lover.

Which publication first introduced jestbooks alongside Bibles during the printing revolution?

One early anthology called Facetiae by Italian Poggio Bracciolini first published in 1470. Twenty editions of this book were documented alone for the 15th century.

What theory explains how humor evokes when a trigger causes an audience to shift understanding?

Victor Raskin developed the Script-based Semantic Theory of Humour to explain how this works. Humour evokes when a trigger in the punchline causes the audience to abruptly shift understanding from a primary interpretation to a secondary opposing one.

Who published Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious in 1905 and what did his work distinguish?

Sigmund Freud published his 1905 study Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious as one of the first modern scholarly recognitions of jokes as important objects of investigation. His work distinguishes between jokes, humour, and the comic.