Changes

The word Samhain is derived from Old Irish ''Samain'' and Proto-Celtic ''*samani'', meaning "assembly."<ref name="etymol">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="etymol">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, cognate with Middle Welsh ''Kintevin''. These words are derived from ''*kentu-samonyo'', proto-Celtic for 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.<ref name="etymol"/>

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, cognate with Middle Welsh ''Kintevin''. Both of these words are derived from ''*kentu-samonyo'', proto-Celtic for 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.<ref name="etymol"/>

''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>