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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Etymology of Easter #3385 06/08/2000 12:41 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 218 Mountain West, USA Brandon enthusiast Brandon enthusiast Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 218 Mountain West, USA Please, derive no religious overtones (or undertones) from this query. I'm looking to confirm an etymology for the Christian holiday Easter. Specifically, are there any Jewish (Aramaic, Semitic, or other Middle East) language connections with the roots of the word "Easter?" My current gives the common Pagan "Eastre" with a deeper note as tot he origin of Eastre lying within the history of "East" (the direction). "East" itself is listed as having Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit origins. Anything further? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Etymology of Easter #3386 06/08/2000 2:43 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass originally, name of pagan vernal [spring time] festival almost coincident in date with paschal [passover] festival of the church... [from Webster's New World Dictionary] ...from prehistoric WGmc name of pagan spring festival, derived from the root of east. [from Webster's Third New International] ...Eástre, a goddess of light or spring [or dawn], in honor of whom a festival was celebrated in April [from Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition] and 'east' itself is as you say. if the festival is "prehistoric", I don't think we'll get much further back. <g> Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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