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History Forum / General / British History / December 2003What does "Noel" mean? .. and "Yule"?
I thought I knew what "Noel" meant until I looked it up. "A man who has a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure." I looked "Noel up in one dictionary and was alright but then I made a mistake, I looked it up in another, and another .. after six or seven dictionaries I was sunk. "The period between Dec. 24 and Jan 6." "The time between Dec. 25 and Jan 4." The seson following the winter equinox" "From Greek for birth ie. the birth of Christ." "Christmas" "A salutation at Christmas time" "Peace" "Good tidings!" and on and on .. My preference? I say it is a salutation that is meant bring the birth of Christ and Christ's teachings to mind. But OK folks, what's the consensus here? By the way, the word "Yule" did not fare much better. "A large fire log formerly brought in on Christmas eve with much ceremony to be the base of the fire." "A pagan mid-winter festival." "The Christmas season .. yuletide" My vote? The log itself or the merry season of perhaps several days that it takes the log to burn. What's the consensus here on "Yule"? And a yuletide "Noel" to all. Rod > I thought I knew what "Noel" meant until I looked it up. > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > And a yuletide "Noel" to all. Maybe yule never noe. Surreyman > I thought I knew what "Noel" meant until I looked it up. > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Rod The SOED just gives "A Christmas carol." See Nowell arch. Also name="1"Nowell. LME. name="mderivation" [Old French nouel, noel (mod. noël) obscure var. of nael, neel, from Latin natalis (sc. dies day) href="doc:47668"NATAL adjective1. Cf. href="doc:46433"NOEL.] 1. A word shouted or sung as an expression of joy, orig. to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Now only as retained in Christmas carols. LME. ? 2. The feast of Christmas; Christmas-time. LME-L16. As for Yule... Now Scot., north., & literary exc. in comb. Also name="a:0"name="1"Yule. name="mderivation" [Old English fUol, feo(h)ol, feh(h)ol, fUola Christmas Day, corresp. to Old Norse jól (pl.) heathen feast lasting twelve days, (later) Christmas, rel. to Old English (Anglian) fiuli December and January = Old Norse ýlir month beginning on the second day of the week falling within 10-17 November, Gothic jiuleis in fruma jiuleis November: ult. origin unkn.] A. noun. ? 1. December; January. OE-ME. 2. Christmas and the festivities connected with it. OE. ?B. interjection. Expr. joy or revelry at the Christmas festivities. M16-M19. Comb.: name="2"yule-clog = yule-log (a) below; name="3"yule-day (chiefly Scot.) Christmas Day; name="4"yule even Scot. Christmas Eve; name="5"yule-log (a) a large log of wood burnt on the hearth at Christmas; (b) a log-shaped chocolate cake eaten at Christmas; name="6"yule-tide the Christmas season. Mekon << What does "Noel" mean? >><BR><BR> I usually end up thinking it means all of those things, believe what you want to believe, I asked my friend , who's name happens to be Noel and he said he had no idea!! David > << What does "Noel" mean? >><BR><BR> > I usually end up thinking it means all of those things, believe what you want > to believe, I asked my friend , who's name happens to be Noel and he said he > had no idea!! Your best bet is to consult the _Oxford Dictionary of Christian Names_ which you can usually find in the reference section of your local library. "Noël" is cognate with "natal", I think. -- Andrew Bartholomew Chaplin, or, Manly Son of Talmai (Ptolomey?) in a family associated with chantry priests |
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