How do you say 'Merry Christmas' in your country? In Dutch (Belgium), we say 'Vrolijk Kerstfeest!'

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Karen Degraeve

How do you say 'Merry Christmas' in your country?

In Dutch (Belgium), we say 'Vrolijk Kerstfeest!'

Nov 9, 2018 2:50 PM

Comments · 23

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

italian: Buon Natale

@Michael Chambers you are right!

From the Online Etimology Dictionary

frolic (v.)

"make merry, have fun, romp playfully," 1580s, from frolic (adj.) "joyous, merry, full of mirth" (1530s), from Middle Dutch vrolyc "happy," a compound of vro- "merry, glad" + lyc "like" (see like (adj.)). The first part of the compound is cognate with Old Norse frar "swift," Middle English frow "hasty," from PIE *preu- "to hop" (see frog (n.1)), giving the whole an etymological sense akin to "jumping for joy." Similar formation in German fröhlich "happy." Related: Frolicked; frolicking. As a noun from 1610s.

November 9, 2018

Michael: You’re probably correct. It never occurred to me before, since the words are actually too close - normally, one would expect English words to end in -ly where Dutch words end in -lijk. Etymonline indicates that “frolic” was borrowed from Dutch (rather than simply being a cognate). (Note: language learners usually don’t bother to distinguish between cognates and borrowings — what matters is that we get an easy vocabulary word.)

https://www.etymonline.com/word/frolic#etymonline_v_14202

November 9, 2018