noel
/noʊˈɛl/
noun
Origin
Latin
natalis — of or relating to birth
Overview
Meaning Now
- A Christmas carol or song.
- The Christmas season or Christmas Day.
Literal older meaning
born/birth
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
nowel
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term traces back to the Latin 'natalis dies' (day of birth). In Medieval France, it became an exclamation of joy during the Christmas season and evolved into a specific term for songs celebrating the nativity.
Evolution
- Latin
natalis (dies)
“birthday”
Used in Christian liturgy to refer to the birth of Christ.
- Old French
noel
“Christmas”
Contracted form of 'natalis'.
- Middle English
nowel
“Christmas carol/season”
Borrowed from Old French.
Connections
Word parts
noel
root
Christmas
Related across languages
French
Noël
Christmas
Italian
natale
Christmas
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Related to noel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.