Etymograph

English

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest comes from German Oktoberfest ‘a two-week public festival in Munich, held…’.

  1. Germanc. 1650–presentOktoberfest‘a two-week public festival in Munich, held yearly in late September and early October’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1951same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Germanc. 1650–presentOktoberfest‘a two-week public festival in Munich, held yearly in late September and early October’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1951same form

Earliest quotation: 1951, William Manchester, Disturber of the Peace: The Life of H. L. Mencken: “These Oktoberfests always resulted in bitter physical complaints, (“My…”

A compound of Oktober ‘October’ + Fest ‘feast, celebration, festival, party’

Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw ‘eight’

Proto-Italic *oktō ‘eight’

Latin octō ‘eight’

Latin Octōber ‘of October’

Middle High German octōber ‘October’

German Oktober ‘October’

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁stos

Proto-Italic *θēstos

Proto-Italic *fēstos

Latin fēstus ‘of or pertaining to holidays’

Latin festum

Middle High German fëst

German Fest ‘feast, celebration, festival, party’

Every English word from German Oktoberfest

Today it means

noun A two-week public festival in Munich (Bavaria, southern Germany), held yearly in late September and early October, known especially for the large party tents in which revellers consume beer on long benches.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / German Oktoberfest / Oktoberfest

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