The first noel meaning of word
Who wrote the first noel!
The first noel meaning of word
What is the meaning of Noel?
Answer
Every year, people sing songs like “The First Noel” at Christmas, and many wonder what a “noel” is. In French, joyeux noelmeans “Merry Christmas.” Our modern English word comes from the Middle English nowel, which Webster’s Dictionary defined as “a shout of joy or Christmas song.” The roots of the word are the French noel(“Christmas season”), which may come from the Old French nael.
This, in turn, is derived from the Latin natalis, meaning “birth.” Since Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, it was natural for people to refer to the celebration as the “nativity” or the “birth.”
Another possible root for noel, also from the French, is the word nouvelles, meaning “news.” As the popular carol says, “The first noel the angels did say / Was to certain poor shepherds.
. . .” The meaning of “news” certainly makes sense in that context; however, the early usage and definition of noelseem to focus more on the idea of bi