Pentecost
/ˈpɛn.tɪ.kɒst/noun
A Christian festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek and originally named the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which was counted as the 50th day after Passover before becoming a major Christian holy day.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pentēkostē
“the fiftieth (day), especially the fiftieth day after Passover”
Late Greek / Biblical Greek
Greek
Pentēkostē
“the Jewish Feast of Weeks, observed on the fiftieth day”
Late Latin
Latin
pentecoste
“the Christian feast of Pentecost”
Old French
French
pentecoste
“Pentecost, the church feast”
Middle English
English
pentecost
“the Christian festival of Pentecost”
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