carol

carol · noun, verb¹

1. Old French · derived fromcaroler“to sing”
2. Middle English · inherited fromcarolen“to dance and/or sing in a round dance; to sing for (dancers in a round dance); (figurative) to spend time noisily or unprofitably”
3. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)ker-“to turn, bend”
4. Ancient Greek · derived fromκορώνη“type of crown; curved object (door handle, tip of a bow, stern of a ship, etc.)”
5. Latin · derived fromcorōlla“little crown, coronet; small chaplet, garland, or wreath”
6. Ancient Greek · derived fromχοραυλής“one who accompanies a chorus on the flute”
7. Medieval Latin · derived fromchoraula
8. Old Italian · derived fromcarola
9. Old French · derived fromcarole“round dance with singing”
10. Middle English · inherited fromcarole“round dance with singing; group of people dancing and singing in a circle; song by carollers, carol; religious poem or song; circular thing; braid, chain (?); stall for study or writing; writing table”
11. English todaycarol

The noun is derived from Middle English carole (“round dance with singing; group of people dancing and singing in a circle; song by carollers, carol; religious poem or song; circular thing; braid, chain (?); stall for study or writing; writing table”), from Old French carole (“round dance with singing”). The further etymology is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: * From Old Italian carola, or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin choraula, a variant of choraulēs (“flute player accompanying a chorus dance”), from Ancient Greek χοραυλής (khoraulḗs, “one who accompanies a chorus on the flute”), from χορός (khorós, “choir; dance”) + αὐλός (aulós, “flute”). * From Latin corōlla (“little crown, coronet; small chaplet, garland, or wreath”), from corōna (“chaplet, garland, wreath”) + -la (diminutive suffix). Corōna is borrowed from Ancient Greek κορώνη (korṓnē, “type of crown; curved object (door handle, tip of a bow, stern of a ship, etc.)”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Compare chorus, terpsichorean. Noun sense 3 (“small closet or enclosure”) may refer to the fact that the item encloses or surrounds the person using it. The verb is derived from Middle English carolen (“to dance and/or sing in a round dance; to sing for (dancers in a round dance); (figurative) to spend time noisily or unprofitably”), from Old French caroler (“to sing”), from carole (noun) (see above) + -er (a variant of -ier (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs)).

Carol · proper noun²

Shortened from Caroline. Associated by folk etymology with the English noun carol.

Carol · proper noun³

1. Romanian · derived fromCarol
2. Latin · derived fromCarolus
3. English todayCarol

Shortened from Latin Carolus; also an Anglicization of Romanian Carol, or Polish or Slovak Karol, all cognates of the English Charles.

Words from the same roots