Where does “julenisse” come from?
julenisse (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål nisse, from Danish nisse, from Danish Niels, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wos — to bark, howl; to be concealed.
julenisse (Norwegian Bokmål): Santa Claus
Definitions
- Santa Claus
Ancestry of “julenisse”, step by step
julenisse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Norwegian Bokmål nisse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Bokmål | nisse | — |
| 2 | Danish | nisse | A small mythological being living in farmsteads;... |
| 3 | Danish | Niels | Nicholas |
| 4 | Latin | Nīcolāus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | people, crowd |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |