Christmas Etymology

American English, in reference to the customs of the old Dutch colony of New York, from dialectal Dutch Sante Klaas, Middle Dutch Sinter Niklaas -Saint Nicholas

Kind of cloth made with interwoven gold or silver thread, from Anglo-French tencele, Old French estencele, estincelle "spark, spangle"

Earlier holin (mid-12c.), shortening of Old English holegn, holen "holly," from Proto-Germanic *hulin-.

Generic for "miser," by 1905, from the name of the curmudgeonly employer in Dickens' 1843 story "A Christmas Carol."

From Old French cheminee "fireplace; room with a fireplace; hearth; chimney stack" (12c., Modern French cheminée), from Medieval Latin caminata "a fireplace,"

From a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse gift, gipt "gift; good luck," from Proto-Germanic *geftiz

Fusion of Old English engel (with hard -g-) and Old French angele. Both are from Late Latin angelus, from Greek angelos.

From Old English stocu "sleeve," which is related to Old English stocc "trunk, log". Probably because of resemblance of legs to tree trunks.

Nativite, "feast-day celebrating the birth of Christ, Christmas," from Old French nativité "birth, origin, descent; birthday; Christmas" (12c.), from Late Latin

Old English wriða "fillet, bandage, band" (literally "that which is wound around"). Meaning "ring or garland of flowers or vines" is first recorded 1560s.

From Old French carole "kind of dance in a ring, round dance accompanied by singers". Perhaps from Medieval Latin choraula ' a dance to the flute'.

From Old French present and directly from Medieval Latin presentia, from phrases such as French en present "(to offer)," mettre en present " place before, give,

1703, American and Canadian English, from Dutch slee, shortened from slede (sled/sledge).

Old English mistel "basil, mistletoe" + tan "twig," from Proto-Germanic *tainan "twig".

Old English belle, which has cognates in Middle Dutch belle, Middle Low German belle but is not found elsewhere in Germanic

From Latin festivus "festive, joyous, gay," from festum "festival, holiday," noun use of neuter of adjective festus "joyful, merry".

Middle English tre, from Old English treo, treow "tree," also "timber, wood, beam, log, stake;" from Proto-Germanic *trewam.

Middle English mirie, from Old English myrge "pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, sweet, exciting feelings of enjoyment and gladness".

Old English elf (Mercian, Kentish), ælf (Northumbrian), ylfe (plural, West Saxon) "sprite, fairy, goblin, incubus," from Proto-Germanic *albiz.

Short for turkey cock or turkeyhen, originally applied to the guinea fowl (imported through Turkey), and then erroneously to the American bird.

Deer inhabiting the arctic regions of Europe, from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse hreindyri "reindeer," with dyr "animal" + hreinn.

Early 14c., "showy trinket or ornament," from Old French baubel "child's toy, trinket," probably a reduplication of bel, from Latin bellus "pretty".