Коледа

Bulgarian

Коледуване

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *kolęda, from Latin kalendae (“first day of the month”). Originally referring to a pagan winter festival, where carollers (typically men or children) visit households and wish the hosts an abundant and healthy incoming year.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɔlɛdɐ]

• Audio

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Proper noun

Ко́леда • (Kóleda) f (relational adjective ко́леден)

1. (obsolete) carolling

   Synonyms: коледу́ване (koledúvane), (dialectal) кола́дство (koládstvo)

2. Christmas

   Synonyms: Рождество Христово (Roždestvo Hristovo), Божик (Božik)

   на Коледа ― na Koleda ― at Christmas

   по Коледа ― po Koleda ― at Christmastide

   су́ха/ма́лка Ко́леда ― súha/málka Kóleda ― the day before Christmas

   Честита Коледа ― Čestita Koleda ― Merry Christmas

   Дядо Коледа ― Djado Koleda ― Father Christmas, Santa Claus

Declension

Declension of Ко́леда

	singular	plural
indefinite	Ко́леда Kóleda	Ко́леди Kóledi
definite	—	Ко́ледите Kóledite
vocative form	Ко́ледо Kóledo	Ко́леди Kóledi

Alternative forms

• Ко́ленда (Kólenda), Ко́лада (Kólada) — dialectal

Derived terms

• ко́ледувам (kóleduvam, “to carol”)
• коледа́р (koledár), колежда́нин (koleždánin), колежда́нец (koleždánec, “caroller”)
• ко́ледница (kólednica, “carol, Christmas song”)

Related terms

• календа́р (kalendár, “calendar”) (later loanword)

See also

• Бъдни вечер (Bǎdni večer, “Christmas Eve”)
• Сурва (Surva, “New Year”)
• Мръсни дни (Mrǎsni dni, “dirty days"”), Некръстени дни (Nekrǎsteni dni, “unbaptized days”) (period between Christmas and Baptism of Jesus's day)
• Колог (Kolog), Коложег (Koložeg) (archaic name of December)

References

• “Коледа”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• “Коледа”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Chitanka, 2010
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1979), “коледа”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volumes 2 (и – крепя̀), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, page 551
• колѧда in Исторически речник на Българския език, Sofia University "St. Clement Ohridsky"

Anagrams

• далеко (daleko)