Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexBell
I'm preparing Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo in the translation by Isabel F. Hapgood for the MobileRead library. There are several occasions in which 'Noel!' is used, and several other occasions in which 'Noël!' (with an umlaut over the e) is used.
Are these two different words?
If they are the same word should it have the umlaut, or not?
What does it mean anyway? In an English speaking culture the word relates to Christmas, but in the 15th century French setting it has nothing to do with Christmas.
Thanks in advance.
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Only Noël is correct nowadays (with the e
tréma, not related to the german Umlaut). There are multiple meanings to this word:
- Christmas
- gift for Christmas
- a Christmas carol
- a male first name (used at least once in Notre Dame de Paris)
The other instances of this word refer to Christmas or a Christmas carol (maybe also a nativity scene, today called a
crèche de Noël)