[Lexicog] Etymology of Christmas, Yule, Weihnachten etc.

[Dr. Hayim Y. Sheynin]

In Russian it is Rozhdestvo, the older form of rozhdenie which means
the birth [of course of Jesus Christ];
In Hebrew it is Hag ha-molad (the holiday of birth[day]); in Arabic
`idu miilaad il-masiih (the holiday of birth[day] of the Messiah) or just al-miilaad(u) (The birth)

Spanish nacimiento and navidad (from Lat. nativitas), or French  Noel
All the terms above are derivatives (abstract nouns) from the verb to be born (Lat. natus esse, Heb. yalad, Arab. walada) share the same etymological meaning.

Merry Christmas!
Feliz Navidad!
Felices Pascuas!
Joyeux Noel!
Hag ha-molad sameah,
`id al-miilaad farhaan

Hayim Sheynin(=Vitalius or Vitalis Pulcher or filius pulchrae)

PS. Unfortunately I do not have in my text based email the necessary diacritics. The long vowels I indicate by doubling the vowels.
-----Original Message-----
From: Fritz Goerling [mailto:Fritz_Goerling at sil.org] 
Sent: א 19 דצמבר 2004 17:53
To: lexicographylist yahoogroups
Subject: [Lexicog] Etymology of Christmas, Yule, Weihnachten etc.


>From Fritz Goerling

I am interested in how different languages name "Christmas" and where the
word
comes from. The word Christ comes from Greek xristos, meaning "the anointed
one,
the Lord's Anointed."  The suffix -mas evolved from the Old English word
maesse meaning "festival, feast day or mass."

In German it is "Weihnachten" which comes from 'wihenacht' (12th century)
= 'geweihte Nacht' (= holy/sacred/dedicated night). This night goes back to
the Germanic feast of the winter soltice and was reinterpretd in a Christian
way.

The origin of Scandinavian "Yule" is debated. For some it comes from
Germanic
'Jule' which meant a turning wheel. To others it dates back to the
pre-Christian
celebration of the winter solstice. Another possible origin is from the
Anglo Saxon early word "jule" which meant "feast time."

Noel in French comes from Latin natalis (dies) = birth (day).
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