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The word Samhain is derived from Old Irish ''Samain'' and Proto-Celtic ''*samani'', meaning "assembly."<ref name=>Stokes, Whitley (1907). “Irish etyma.” ''Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung.'' 40:245.<br/>Matasović, Ranko, ''Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic'', Brill, 2009. "GOID MIr. ''samain'' (assembly on the) 1st of November [i f]"</ref> In pagan times, the Feast of Tara (''feis Temrach'') met around the time of Samhain.<ref name="Cormac">"[https://sejh.pagesperso-orange.fr/keltia/version-en/echtraCormacB.html The Irish Ordeals, Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise, and the Decision as to Cormac's Sword.]," Trans. Whitley Stokes.</ref>

The word Samhain is derived from Old Irish ''Samain'' and Proto-Celtic ''*samani'', meaning "assembly."<ref name=>Stokes, Whitley (1907). “Irish etyma.” ''Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung.'' 40:245.<br/>Matasović, Ranko, ''Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic'', Brill, 2009. "GOID MIr. ''samain'' (assembly on the) 1st of November [i f]"</ref> In pagan times, the Feast of Tara (''feis Temrach'') met around the time of Samhain.<ref name="Cormac">"[https://sejh.pagesperso-orange.fr/keltia/version-en/echtraCormacB.html The Irish Ordeals, Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise, and the Decision as to Cormac's Sword.]," Trans. Whitley Stokes.</ref>

The medieval tale "The Sick-Bed of Cuchulain" claims that ''Samain'' means "summer's end" (''sam-fuin'').<ref name="Leahy"/> This derivation is not accepted by modern scholars. The month of May is ''Cétamain'' in Old Irish. This is from ''ken-samon'', meaning beginning of summer. So end of summer should be a parallel construction.

The medieval tale "The Sick-Bed of Cuchulain" claims that ''Samain'' means "summer's end" (''sam-fuin'').<ref name="Leahy"/> This derivation is not accepted by modern scholars. The month of May is ''Cétamain'' in Old Irish. This is from ''ken-samon'', meaning beginning of summer. End of summer should be a parallel construction. In Middle Irish, summer reduced to ''sam'', so the bards found this usage plausible.  

''Regula Coenobialis of St Columban'', written in AD 540‐615, is the oldest source to describe November 1 as the first day of winter. November 1 was Christianized as All Saints Day in the eighth century. The earliest mention of Samhain is found in the ninth century text ''Felire Oengusso.'' It spells the word as ''Samain.''<ref>“Rule 7: … up to the beginning of winter, that is, the first of November.” ''Regula Coenobialis of St Columban''.<br/>“Lonán, Colmán, Cronán with their bright sunny following the hosts of Hilarius sure multitudinous ennoble stormy All‐Saints’ day [Samain].” ''Felire Oengusso.''</ref><ref name="Morgan">Morgan, Bernard, "[https://www.academia.edu/30803038/The_semantic_shift_of_Samain_from_Summer_to_Winter The semantic shift of Samain from Summer to Winter]".</ref>

''Regula Coenobialis of St Columban'', written in AD 540‐615, is the oldest source to describe November 1 as the first day of winter. November 1 was Christianized as All Saints Day in the eighth century. The earliest mention of Samhain is found in the ninth century text ''Felire Oengusso.'' It spells the word as ''Samain.''<ref>“Rule 7: … up to the beginning of winter, that is, the first of November.” ''Regula Coenobialis of St Columban''.<br/>“Lonán, Colmán, Cronán with their bright sunny following the hosts of Hilarius sure multitudinous ennoble stormy All‐Saints’ day [Samain].” ''Felire Oengusso.''</ref><ref name="Morgan">Morgan, Bernard, "[https://www.academia.edu/30803038/The_semantic_shift_of_Samain_from_Summer_to_Winter The semantic shift of Samain from Summer to Winter]".</ref>