Gōd Gēol
The English phrase 'merry Christmas' is translated into Old English as Gōd Gēol.
The phrase is used to convey good wishes during the Christmas season.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Did you know?
- The word Gēol lives on in modern English as "Yule", the old name of the midwinter season. Despite the similar spelling, it is not related to geolu, the Old English word for "yellow".
- In Old English Gēol named the midwinter feast, and after the conversion it was used for Christmas itself. The form Cristes mæsse , 'Christ's mass', appears only at the very end of the Old English period.
- The Old English Gōd means 'good' and not 'merry'. The shift to 'merry' in English didn't happen until centuries later when the phrase evolved into its modern form.
