Weihnachten
Concepts
Synonyms
Translations
Noël
Navidad
Natale
Kerstmis
Χριστούγεννα
Natal
Nadal
Noel
Christi Natalis
Nadal
عيد الميلادFrequency
Dialects
Zürich
wiehnachte
Basel-Landschaft
wiehnachte
Basel-Landschaft
wienacht
Zürich
wiehnacht
Zürich
wienachte
Data provided by: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈvaɪ̯ˌnaxtən/
Etymology
In summary
From Middle High German wīhenahten (“Christmas”), from a dative plural ze den wīhen nahten (“in the holy nights”). Compare modern weihen (“to hallow”) and Nacht. The oldest form (1170) is a singular diu wīhe naht (“the Holy Night”); the somewhat later plural is used to refer to the Christmas days and nights collectively. A relation with earlier heathen festivals is not endorsed by the etymological standard sources, though the possibility is admitted. The term is a cognate with Low German Wiehnachten as well as Czech Vánoce and Slovak Vianoce.
Notes
Sign in to write sticky notes
Start learning German with learnfeliz.
Practice speaking and memorizing "Weihnachten" and many other words and sentences in German.
'%3e%3c/path%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cmarker%20markerWidth='4.5'%20markerHeight='4.5'%20refX='2.25'%20refY='2.25'%20viewBox='0%200%204.5%204.5'%20orient='auto'%20id='SvgjsMarker4023'%3e%3cpolygon%20points='0,4.5%201.5,2.25%200,0%204.5,2.25'%20fill='white'%3e%3c/polygon%3e%3c/marker%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
