Where does “holidays” come from?
Holiday derives from Middle English halidei and halyday, from Old English hāliġdæġ, originally denoting a holy day or religious festival.
holidays (English): plural of holiday; API pl; holiday, vacation;...
Definitions
- plural of holiday; API pl; holiday, vacation;...
Ancestry of “holidays”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | holiday | A day on which a festival, religious event, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | holyday | Alternative form of halyday |
| 3 | Middle English | halyday | A religious holiday or celebration |
| 4 | Old English | hāliġdæġ | holy day, Sabbath |
Words derived from “holidays”