English
noel
Noel comes from Anglo-Norman noel, from Latin nātālis ‘natal, having to do with birth’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to produce’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₁tós‘begotten, produced’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnātos‘born’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgnātus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātus‘born, arisen, made’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātālis‘natal, having to do with birth’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400noel
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nowel
- Englishearliest quotation 1833noel
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵenh₁-‘to produce’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₁tós‘begotten, produced’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnātos‘born’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgnātus
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātus‘born, arisen, made’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnātālis‘natal, having to do with birth’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400noel
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nowel
- Englishearliest quotation 1833noel
Earliest quotation: 1833, William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern: “The first Nowell the Angel did say / Was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- ‘to produce’
general, kind, king, nature, german, nation, engine, generation, gender, pregnant, genuine, gene, genius, oxygen, ken, genre, gentle, hydrogen, indigenous, genus, genocide, kin, innate, genital, ingenious, germ, nascent, gentile, janata, gens, puny, glycogen, genial, gingerly, genitive, jaunty, genteel, azadi, renate, estrogenic, 106 more
through Latin gnātus
through Latin nātus ‘born, arisen, made’
natural, native, naive, nee, nativity, nada, naïve, 8 more
through Latin nātālis ‘natal, having to do with birth’
Today it means
noun A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- / noel