Etymograph

English

esbat

Esbat comes from Old French esbat ‘frolic’, and goes back to Latin ēbattuō.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEēbattuō
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400esbatre‘to frolic, to have fun’
  3. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400esbat‘frolic’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1965same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEēbattuō
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400esbatre‘to frolic, to have fun’
  3. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400esbat‘frolic’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1965same form

Earliest quotation: 1965, Ruth E. St. Leger-Gordon, Witchcraft and Folklore of Dartmoor: “Latter day witches, continuing the age-long cult, frequently made…”

Today it means

noun A Wiccan coven gathering other than one of the Sabbats. While a full moon ritual may be held during an esbat, esbats encompass coven business meetings, social occasions, and opportunities for merriment.

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

Etymograph / Latin ēbattuō / esbat