Yule

See also: yule and yúlè

English

Etymology

From Middle English yol, from Old English ġeōl, ġeola (“Christmastide, midwinter”), either cognate with or from Old Norse jól, from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą, from Proto-Indo-European *yekə- (“joke, play”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis); see also Old English giuli and Old Norse ýlir.

In pre-Christian times, the term designated the two-month midwinter season (December and January). After Christianization, it became a narrower reference to the twelve days of Christmas.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /juːl/
• Homophone: you'll
• Rhymes: -uːl

Proper noun

Yule (plural Yules)

1. Christmastide, the Christmas season, the Twelve Days of Christmas (between December 25^th and January 5^th).
2. A pagan wintertime holiday celebrated by Germanic peoples, particularly the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon peoples, or a modern reconstruction of this holiday celebrated by neo-pagans.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• Yulefest
• Yule log
• Yuletide

• Yule tree
• Yule wreath

Translations

the Christmas season

• Afrikaans: Joelfees
• Danish: jul (da) c
• Dutch: Joelfeest
• Esperanto: Julo
• Estonian: jõulud (et) pl
• Finnish: joulu (fi)
• Galician: Nadal (gl) m
• Georgian: შობის დღეები (šobis dɣeebi)
• German: Julfest (de) n
• Gothic: 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 m (jiuleis)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Icelandic: jól (is) n pl
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jul (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: jul f, jol f

• Romanian: Crăciun (ro) n
• Spanish: Navidad (es) f
• Swedish: jul (sv) c
• Turkish: yul bayramı, bocuk (tr)

See also

• jolly
• blót
• Sabbat
• Christmas
• (Wiccan Sabbats) Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnasadh, Mabon ^{(Category: en:Wicca)}

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Scots

Etymology

From Middle English yol, from Old English ġeōl, ġeola (“Christmastide, midwinter”), either cognate with or from Old Norse jól, from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą, from Proto-Indo-European *yekə- (“joke, play”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃 (jiuleis); see also Old English giuli and Old Norse ýlir.

In pre-Christian times, the term designated the two-month midwinter season (December and January). After Christianization, it became a narrower reference to the twelve days of Christmas.

Noun

Yule

1. Christmas