Table of Contents

Section 1:
General Morphemes
(for general morphemes, just scroll down)

Section 2:
Numerical Morphemes

Section 3:
 Body Parts Morphemes
(This helps in the study of human anatomy and...
in the study of the medical/biological sciences)

  Section 4:
Halloween Morphemes

Section 5:

Christmas Morphemes.

cede vs. sede

Examples:

superior (above in status/level)
suprasegmental (beyond the actual sounds of the letters; features of voice quality when speaking)

hyperactive (over active)
hyperthermia (over heating)
hypersensitive (over feeling)

Examples:

postpone (after do)
post facto (after the fact)
post script (after writing) P.S.
post test (test after learning)

Examples:

repair (again put together)
respect (again see nicely)
review (again look at) [USA, Canada]
revise (again look at) [UK,Australia,Singapore]

Examples:

anti-government (against government)
antidisestablishmentarianism
(against the idea of destruction)

Examples:

contra positive (negative)
counter strike (strike back against)

Examples:

total (all; whole amount)

[see also, "whole"]

omnipotent (all-powerful)
omnipresent (all-present)
omnivore (all-eater; one who eats meat and vegitables)
panacea (all-curing)
panorama (all-seeing)

Examples:

-

parapsychology (beside psychology)
paragraph (beside the graph)
      -graph (means "writing" or "picture")

Examples:

animal (any creature)
animation (making an object move; as in animated movies)
animatronics (making robots move)

zoo = shortened form of "zoological garden" (animal garden)

zoology (animal study)
zoologist (animal study person)

Examples:

paradise (around wall)
     Note:  the original paradise had a wall around it

periodontal (around the teeth; gums)

Examples:

repossess (take back)
retroactive (make take effect before)
retrospect (look back)
retrograde (back down)

Examples:

malady (bad illness; disease)
malice (bad feelings)
malevolent (bad intentions)
malediction (bad talking)

dysfunction (bad workings)
dyslexia (bad reading)
dyspepsia (bad digestion)

Examples:

conifer (cone carrying)
infer (carry inside your mind)
defer (carry down, and wait)
Lucifer (light bearer; light carrier)
prefer (want more than other)
refer (again carry to another person)

Examples:

prepare (before get ready)
prefix (fixed/attached before)
preposition (before the noun)

antemeridian (before the middle)
antediluvian (before The Flood)
ante-mortal (before birth into mortality)

Examples:

submarine (under the sea)
subterranean (under the earth)
subheading (under the heading)
infrared (below red)
inferior (below others)

hypothermia (low heat disease)
hypodermic (under the skin)
hypoglycemia (low sugar disease)

Examples:

interact (act between 2 or more people)
intercommunication (talking between...)
interface ("talking" between machines)
intercom (machine for communication)
interpret (talk between 2 languages)
international (between nations)

Examples:

grand (big #; a lot; 1 thousand)
grandiose (big)
grandiloquence (big talking)

megaphone (big phone)
megabyte (big (million) bytes)

Examples:

corpse (dead body)
corpus (body (bunch) of words)
corporation (body (bunch) of workers)
corporal (of the body)

chromosome (rainbow body)
lysosome (loosening body)
psychosomatic (mind over body)

Examples:

library (book room)
librarian (person of book room)

Bible (book)
bibliophile (book lover)

Examples:

ambidextrous (using BOTH hands)
ambiguity (having 2 meanings)
ambivalence (2 outer shells)

amphibian (living BOTH on land & water)

Examples:

found(v.) (to start building up from the bottom)
foundation (the bottom of something)

Examples:

fraternal (brotherly, (of siblings))
fraternity (brotherhood)
fraternize (to talk with and get new "brothers")

Examples:

filial (adj) (of son or daughter)
filial piety (respect of son or daughter)

pedagogue (teacher of children)
pedagogy (science of teaching children)
pediatrics (science of children's medicine)
pediatrician (children's medical doctor) 

Examples:

cycle (circle of life)
bicycle (two circles (wheels))
tricycle (three circles (wheels))
unicycle (one circle (wheel))

cyclops (circle eyed monster (with 1 eye))
dial (circle)
zodiac (animal circle, (in the stars))
diaspora (to spread out in a circle)

Examples:

frigid (very cold)
refrigerator (a machine that makes things cold)

cryonics (freezing the body, for the future)
cryogenics (creating freezing temperatures)

Examples:

color (hue)
colorful (having many hues)

chrome (a mirror-like metal that reflects all hues; made from chromium and nickel)
chromatic (having many hues)
chromium (a mirror-like metallic element)
chromosome (chomo + soma >>>a colorful body)

Examples:

convene (come together)
convention (coming together)
intervene (come between)
invention (a new thing that comes into the mind)

Examples:

insane (not normal in the head)
insanity (condition of being not normal in the head)

mania (craziness)
maniac (crazy person)
pyromania (craziness about fire)
pyromaniac (person who is crazy about fire)

Examples:

factory (place to create things)
manufacture (make by hand)

generate (create/make)
generation (a period of creation, about 20-70 years)
carcinogen (thing that creates cancer)
mutagen (thing that creates mutations)
teratogen (thing that creates birth defects)

Examples:

diary (daily journal)
dial (a circle (as the sun circles the earth))

Examples:

animal (moving creature)
animate (to make something move, like a cartoon)
animation (moving cartoons)
inanimate (adj) (not moving)

zoo (place for animals)
zoology (study of animals)
zodiac (animal circle)
protozoa (first animal)

Examples:

mortal (adj.)  (deathly; can die)
mortal (n.) (a being that will die)
immortal (n.) (a being that will not die)
mortality (condition of being able to die)
mortician (a death doctor)
morbid (deathly; looks like death)
post mortem (after-death examination)
mortify (to make someone appear dead; to scare someone half to death)

necrology (study of death)
necrophilia (love of the dead)
necrophiliac (person who loves the dead)
necrosis (death of human tissue)
necropsy (after-death examination of animal)
necromancy (talking to dead people)
necromancer (person who talks to the dead)
necropolis (place of the dead)

Examples:

bib (a towel for a baby to drink)
imbibe (to drink (especially alcohol))
bibber (person who drinks (especially alcohol))

Examples:

deep (far down)
destroy (tear down)
destruction (tearing down)
deconstruct (take construction down)
deposit (put down)
detain (hold down)

catabolism (down throw) [catabolism is the part of metabolism which involves the breaking down of things in the body; its opposite is anabolism, which is the building up of things in the body].
catatonia (down tone disease) [catatonia is a disease of little or no movement in the skeletal muscles].

Examples:

terra firma (firm land)
terra cotta (cooked earth)
territory (someone's land)
extra-terrestrial (E.T.) (outside earth)
terrarium (land in a tank)

geocartography (Earth map-making)
geography (Earth picture)
geology (Earth study)
geothermal (Earth heat)

Examples:

comestible (something to eat)

macrophage (large eater)
phagocyte {"eating cell" (a white blood cell)}

binoculars (two eyes) [a visual enhancing device that requires two eyes as it has two lenses].

Cylops (circle-shaped eye)
optical (of eyes)
optics (eye science)
optometrist (eye measurer)
ophthalmologist (eye chamber doctor)

Examples:

teleport (far away door)
telescope (far away see)

telekinesis (far touch)
telepathy (far feeling)
telephone (far sound)

Examples:

paternal (fatherly)
paternity (fatherhood)

patriarch (father leader)
patriot (lover of the fatherland)
expatriate (outside the fatherland person)

Examples:

terror (fear)
terrorize (fear-make)
terrorism (fear-movement)

phobia (fear-disease)
phobic (fearful)
phobe (fearing person)
agoraphobia (public place fear)
arachnophobia (spider fear)

Examples:

sentiment (feeling; emotion)
sentimental (having feeling; having emotion)

apathy (no feeling)
empathy {in feeling (from someone else)}
sympathy (same feeling)
telepathy (far feeling)

Examples:

sense (physical feeling; perception)
sensitive (having great feeling)

Examples:

pedal (of feet)
pedestrian (person on foot)
pedastool (foot stool)
biped (2 feet)
quadriped (4 feet)
pedantic (step by step)

pod (foot)
podiatrist (foot doctor)
tripod (3 feet)
tetrapod (4 feet)

Examples:

digit (finger; one place value in a number)
digital (of binary number system)

phalange (finger;  or a flat, circular metallic part)
phalanx (group of people or troops, which is part of a large group, as a finger is part of a hand)

Examples:

inferno (fiery underworld)

pyromania (fire-crazy-disease)
pyromaniac (person who is crazy about fire)

Examples:

prime (first)
primal (first)
primate (first upright walking mammals)

protocol (first rules)
prototype (first of a kind)
protozoa (first animal)

Examples:

carnal (of the flesh)
incarnate (in the flesh)
carnivore (flesh eater)
carnival (flesh party)

Examples:

project (forward throw (verb))
protest (forward witness (verb))
provoke (forward voice (verb))

Examples:

benevolent (good hearted)
benediction (good speech; prayer)
benefit (good deed)
benefactor (good doer)
beneficiary (good doee; good receiver)

euthanasia (good death)
Eugene (good genes)
eugenics (good genes science)
eulogy (good word(s))
europe (good ?)
eustress (good stress)

Examples:

aggregate (grouped (adj.); group (verb))
congregation (together group)
gregarious (grouping (adj.))

organ (group of cells with similar function; or group of musical pipes)
organism (group of cells which is a living being)
organize (make a group)
organization (group of people)

Examples:

manual (of the hand)
mano-a-mano (hand to hand)
manufacture (make by hand)
manipulate (handle (verb))

chiropractor (hand-using joint-fixing doctor)
chiromancy (palmistry)

Examples:

cap (head; hat)
capital (head city)
capitol (head building)
decapitate (downed head make)
captain (head person)

phrenology (study of the shape of the head, and how it correlates with one's mind)

Examples:

audience (hearers; listeners)
audio (hearing (adj.))
audition (hearing (noun))
auditory (of hearing)

Examples:

core (heart; center)
coronary (heart attack)

cardiac (of the heart)
cardiology (study of the heart)
myocarditis (muscle of heart inflammation)

Examples:

botanic (of herbs)
botanicals (herbals)
botany (study of herbs)
botanist (person who studies herbs)

Examples:

contain (hold)
detain (hold down)
obtain (get and hold)
pertain (hold meaning to...)

Examples:

dome (semi-spherical home)
domecile (home)
domestic (of the home)

Examples:

calorie (measurement of heat)

thermometer (heat measurer)
thermodynamics (heat actions)
endothermic (inside-heat)
exothermic (outside-heat)
thermos (thing that keeps the heat of your liquid from dissipating)
thermostat (thing that measures heat)

Examples:

despair (downed hope)
desperate (having downed hope)
desperado (>Spanish:  one with downed hope)

-

Examples:

innate (in the womb)
intramural (in the school)
intrapersonal (inside the person)

endothermic (inside heat)
endoskeleton (inside skeleton)
endoderm (inside skin)

Examples:

cognize (to know)
recognize (again know)
cognition (knowledge)
precognition (fore knowledge)
cognizant (knowing (adj.))
cognizance (knowing (noun))

Examples:

science (knowledge)
conscience (together knowledge
prescience (fore knowledge)
omniscience (all knowledge)

prognosis (forward knowledge)
prognosticator (forward knowledge person)
Gnostic (knowledgeable one)
gnosticism (knowledgeable movement)

Examples:

-?-

patriarch (father leader)
matriarch (mother learder)
oligarchy (few leaders)
monarch (one leader)
anarchy (no leader)

Examples:

monogram (one letter) [two or more letters intertwined to form one design]
Examaple: 

tetragram (four letters)
tetragrammaton (the 4 letters of God's name)
grammar (rules of writing)

Examples:

survive (up-live)
vivacious (lively)
vivify (make alive)
vivid (like life)
vivacity (liveliness)

biology (life, study of)
biography (life, writing of)
biosphere (life's ball)
biotic (living)
biochemistry (life's chemistry

Examples:

class (group of same level or same kind)
classify (make groups of same kinds)
classification (noun of classify)
declassify (take down the groups)

Examples

extra-terrestrial (outside earth)
terra-cotta (cooked earth)
       - bricks, orange pottery, orange-clay shingles, etc.
terrarium (land tank)
terra firma (firm land)

geology (land study)
geologist (land-study person)
geothermal (land heat)

Examples:

lucid (clear)
translucent (lets light travel through)
elucidate (out-light-make)
Lucifer (light bearer)

photograph (light writing; light picture)
photosynthesis (light-together-putting)
phototropism (light-growing; growing toward the light)

Examples:

amorous (loving)
enamored (in love)

Philip (lover of horses)
philanthropy (love of humans)
philosophy (love of wisdom)
hemophilia (blood-love disease)
bibliophile (book lover)
hydrophilic (water-loving)
chlorophyll (green lover)

Examples:

beautify (make beautiful)
testify (make a witness)
classify (make a group)

apologize (make excuses)
organize (make a group)
globalize (make a single global network)

Examples:

homo sapiens (man who knows himself)
homicide (man-killing)
hominoid (man-like)

android (man-like robot)
androgen (man-maker)
androgenic (man-making)

Examples:

sign (make one's mark or signature)
design (down-mark; put marks down on paper)
resign (take back one's mark or signature)
re-sign (again make one's mark)
signature (one's personal mark)

Examples:

mental (of the mind)
dementia (down-mind disease)

psyche (mind)
psychotic (having a deviant mind)
psychology (mind study; study of the mind)
psychiatry (doctor of the mind (and body))

Examples:

lunar (of the moon)
lunatic (person affected negatively by the moon)

Examples:

maternal (of mother)
maternity (motherhood)

matriarch (mother leader)
matrix (mother field or mother substance)

Examples:

noval (new)
novel (new book)
novice (new person)
nova (new material (from a star))
Nova Scotia (New Scotland)

neonatal (of the newborn)
neonate (newborn)
neophyte (new convert)
neotype (new type of organism)

Examples:

ancient (very old)
ancestors (the old ones (now dead))

archaic (very old)
archeology (old-study; study of old objects)

Examples:

elicit (out draw;  draw out)
elect (out pick; choose out of)
expel (out kick; kick out)
explain (out know; give out knowledge)
expose (out put; put out)
expound (out give; give out information)
extra (outside the norm)
extra-terrestrial (outside the earth)
extra-marital (outside of marriage)
extra-Biblical (outside the Bible)

exoskeleton (outside skeleton)
expatriate (outside the fatherland)

Examples:

pacify (peace make; make peaceful)
pacifist (peace-maker; peace-making person)
pacifier (peace-making thing)
Pacific Ocean (Peaceful Ocean)

Examples:

-

humane (of humans; human-like)
inhuman (not of humans; unlike humans)
humanity (all humans, collectively)

anthropology (study of humans)
anthropomorph (human shaped being)
philanthropy (love of humans)

Examples:

plant

botanic (of plants)
botanicals (plants for herbal use)
botany (study of herbs)
botanist (person who studies herbs)

-petri-

Examples:

petrify (rock-make; make into a rock)
petrified wood (wood that has been made into a rock)

petrol (rock oil)
petroleum (rock oil)
petrology (rock-study; study of rocks)
petroglyph (rock picture)
Peter (The Rock)

Examples:

homonym (same name)
homophone (same sound)
homosexual (same sex)
homeostasis (same-stay; stay the same)

synchronize = make same time
synonym (same name)
sympathy (same feeling)
sympathetic (having the same feeling)

Examples:

predict (before-say; say before)
dictate (say (and the hearer writes))
dictator (one-person government; what he/she says goes)
dictionary (a book that teachers how to say words)
diction (speech)

Examples:

vision (sight; ability to see)
visual (seen; seen thing)
visor (something that blocks or limits seeing)
audio-visual (hearing & seeing)

Examples:

-

automobile (self-moving machine)
automatic (self-moving)
automate (make self-moving)
autograph (self's writing; signature)
autocracy (self government; (for politics))
autocrat (self ruler)
autonomy (self governing; (for a person))

Examples:

figure (shape (of a person); number)
disfigure (make a person's shape bad)

morphology (shape-study; study of shapes (symbols) of the smallest unit of letters that have meaning)
morpheme (shape of the smallest unit of a word that has meaning)
metamorphosis (changing-shape process)
anthropomorph (human shape)

Examples:

sorority (sisterhood)

Examples:

dormitory (sleeping room)
dormant (sleeping)

narcotics (sleeping drugs)
narcolepsy (sleeping disease)

Examples:

picayune (adj.; very, very small)
minute (adj.; very small)

microscope (small thing seeing device)
microphone (small sound > to big sound)
microbiology (study of very small living things)
microbe (very small living thing)

Examples:

sonar (sound)
sonic (of sound)

phonology (sound study; study of sound)
phonics (sound study; study of sounds of speech)
phoneme (the smallest unit of sound that has meaning)
telephone (far sound)
microphone (small sound > to big sound)

Examples:

locutor (speaker)
interlocutor (person you are speaking with)
loquacious (speaking a lot)
eloquent (speaking well)
circumlocution (speaking around the issue)
colloquium
colloquy
elocution
eloquence (beautiful speech)
grandiloquence (overly beautiful speech)
interlocution
locution (speech)
locutory
loquacity
loquitur
magniloquence
magniloquent
obloquy
soliloquy
somniloquy
vaniloquence
ventriloquism
ventriloquy. 

Examples:

stellar (of the stars; like a star)
constellation (group of stars) 

asteroid (small star; rock in space)
asterix (small written star)
astrology (study of the stars)
astronomy (study of the stars)
astro-physics (study of the movement of the stars)

Examples:

solar (of the sun)
solarium (sun room; room that lets in a lot of sunlight)

helium (of the sun; the element of the sun)
helio-centric (sun-centered)

Examples:

gusto (taste)
disgusting (bad-tasting)

Examples:

doctor (teacher; scholar)

didactic (having a teacher's character)

Examples:

recount (again-tell;  tell what happened)
account (one's person's side of the story)

Examples:

tempo (time; speed of music)
temporary (for a short time)
contemporary (at the present time)
extemporaneous (on the spot; no time to prepare)

anachronism (out of proper time)
chronology (study of time)
chronometer (time-measuring machine; clock; timer)
chronicle (journal with dates (time))
Chronos (father time)

Examples:

congregate (together group make)
connect (together put)
contact (together touch)
convene (together come)

photosynthesis (light together put)
synchronize (together time make)
synthesis (together put)
synthetic (together put

Examples:

language = a spoken tongue
lingua franca = a common language
unilingual = having one language
bilingual = having two languages
trilingual = having three languages
quadrilingual = having four languages
multilingual = having many languages

glossary (book of tongues) = lexicon
glossolalia = speaking in tongues
glottis = opening of the mouth
monoglot = having one language
diglot = having two languages
triglot = having three languages
polyglot = having many languages

Examples:

contact (together touch)
intact (in touch; touching)
tactile (of touching)
tactition (act of touching)

kinesthetic (of touch)
telekinesis (far away touching)

Examples:

veracity (truth)
veracious (truthful)
verily (truthfully)

Examples:

surprise (up emotion)
surrender (up give;  give up)
resurrection (again up straight)

Examples:

vocal (of voice)
invoke (use your voice)
invocation (using your voice for prayer)
vocation (one's calling)
vocabulary (words)

Examples:

Mars (god of war)
martial (war-like)
martial art (art of war)
martial law (law of wartime)

Examples:

aquatic (of the water)
aquarium (water tank; with fish in it)
aquamarine (water-sea; color of sea water)

hydrogen (water-maker; main atom in water)
hydro-electric (electricity from water)
hydraulics (water pressure for technology)
Hydra (water serpent (with many heads))

Examples:

lament (weep)
lamentations (weepings; regrets)
lamentable (able to be wept over; regretable)

Examples:

ponder (v) to "weigh" in one's mind
ponderous (adj) weighty; heavy

Examples:

total (whole amount; entire amount)
totalitarian (one with whole control)
totalitarianism (a philosophy that agrees with one person having whole control)

biome (bio + ome >>>life's whole existence; the entirety of living things in a given area)
genome (the genetic code in its entirety) 

Examples:

vent (window)
ventilate (open a window)

Examples:

Madonna (mother woman)

gynecology (women's body study)
OB-GYN (woman's doctor)
androgyn (hermaphrodite)
androgyny (condition of being a hermaphrodite)

Examples:

verb (word that portrays action)
verbose (using many words)
verbal (having words; using words)

lexis (words)
lexicon (book that gives meaning of words)
lexicology (study of words)

Examples:

verb (action word)
verbal (using words)
verbose (wordy)

log (book of words)
prologue (foreword)
epilogue (after word)
eulogy (good words)
monologue (one person's words)
dialogue (two people's words)
logic (word of reason)

Examples:

scribe (writer)
scribble (write non-sensical stuff)
script (writing)
post script (after writing)
transcribe (write from a speech)
transcript (written report of a speech)

autograph (self writing)
graph (picture writing)
photograph (light writing)
grapheme (writing that has meaning)
graphic (of picture writing)
biography (life writing)

Examples:

universe (one is all)
unicycle (one circle; one wheel)
university (one place, many colleges)
unique (one of a kind)

monogram (one letter)
monologue (one person's words)
mononucleosis (one nucleus disease)
monopoly (one (company) has many)

Examples:

bicycle (two circles; two wheels)
biweekly (every 2 weeks)
bimonthly (every 2 months)
biannually (every 2 years)

dyad (two; pair; couple)
digress (2 grow; grow into 2 speeches)
divide (2 cut;  cut into 2 parts)
dialogue (2 people talking)

Examples:

tricycle (3 circles; 3 wheels)
triangle (3 angles)
triple (3 identical things)
triplets (3 identical people)

triad (three; group of three)

Examples:

quad (4)
quadrilateral (4 sided shape)
quadruple (4 identical things)
quadruplets (4 identical people)

tetragram (4 letters)
tetrapod (4 feet)
tetragrammaton (The 4-letter name of God)

Examples:

quintuplets (5 identical people)
quintessential (top 5)
quintile (1 of 5 parts)
biquintile (2 of 5 parts)

pentagon (5-sided shape)
Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible)
Pentecost (50th day)
pentagram (pentagon with a 5-pointed star)

Examples:

sextuplets (6 identical people)

hexagon (6-sided shape)

Examples:

September (7th month; It used to be the 7th month, but now it is the 9th month)

heptagon (7-sided shape)

Examples:

October (8th month; It used to be the 8th month, but now it is the 10th month)
octopus (8-legged creature)

octagon (8-sided shape)

Examples:

November (9th month; It used to be the 9th month, but now it is the 11th month)

nonagon (9-sided shape)

Examples:

December (10th month; It used to be the 10th month, but now it is the 12th month)
decade (10 years)

dekaliter (10 liters)
dekagram (10 grams)

Examples:

cent (1/100th of a dollar)
century (100 years)

Examples:

millennium (1000 years)

kilometers (1000 meters)
kilograms (1000 grams)
kilobytes (1000 bytes)

Examples:

megabytes (1 000 000 bytes)

Examples:

gigabytes (1 000 000 000 bytes)

Examples:

terabytes (1 000 000 000 000 bytes)

Examples:

multiple (many)
multiply (make many)

polygon (many-sided shape)
polygamy (many wives)

Christ [ > Greek] = anointed with oil
Mass [ > Latin] = a sacramental service

Carol (as in A Christmas Carol; by Charles Dickens) is of Germanic origin meaning: "man" or "husband".  It is related to the names Carl and Charles.

See my page on "The Little People".

Santa Claus got elves to help him make and distribute toys to all the good little boys and girls.  Santa Claus was born in Finland, but eventually he and his elves moved to the North Pole.

Gold [ > Old English; German] bright, shiny metal

Frankincense = Frank + Incense
Frank [ > German] (free from impurities); named after the Frank tribe which was a Germanic tribe of free men.
Incense [ > Latin]  (that which is burned for its sweet smell);
Frankincense came from the East, probably through the Franks, from whom it got its name.

Myrrh = [ > Arabic] a bitter herb; used as incense

Holly = [ > Old English] the tree with the prickly green leaves

Holly was originally chosen as the plant of the winter solstice because it is an evergreen.  Later, it became associated with Christmas (as all the winter solstice traditions were incorporated into Christmas).

Magi (plural of magus)

In the Bible, these weren't ordinary magicians; they were very learned men, familiar with the astronomical alignments and signs in the stars of heaven.

The baby Jesus was laid in a manger, in a stable, because there was no room in the inn.

Toe = [ > Old Germanic] Twig

native (one who was born there)
natal (of birth)
neonate (newborn)
nativity (birth)
nature (thing that gives birth to all things)
natural (of nature)
innate (from birth)

Pole is also a pure English word, with Scandinavian roots (pall), which means "stake".

Ornament = decoration, adornment

(It doesn't mean what you think it means).

Deer is a pure English word that originally meant any quadrupedal animal.

So, reindeer originally meant "running animal" which they peoples of the north used for transportation.

Reindeer are highly adapted to live in very cold climates.  In fact, they don't do well in warmer climates.  The picture to the left is my son riding a reindeer in Mongolia.

Claus = [ > German] Nicolaus

Santa Claus = St. Nicolaus.

Wassailing was the signing of songs at winter time, accompanied by the drinking of ale/mead and later hard apple cider.

The term "wassail" was used as a "toast" when drinking.

Later it turned into Christmas caroling. 

Winter Solstice

Learn all about Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World, on Leon's Planet.

Solstice [ > Latin] = Sol + stice
Sol (sun) + stice (stands still)

From Fall Equinox (Sept. 22) until Winter Solstice (Dec. 22) the sun retreats lower and lower in the sky (from a Northern-hemisphere perspective).  Dec. 22 was called the "Death of the Sun", and the sun remained "still" for 3 days ("in the grave"), until it was born a again on December 25th (and it started rising again in the sky).

Mas = mass [Latin] a sacramental service

The Yuletide was a 2-month season (from December to January) involving much feasting and drinking.

The tradition of the yule log was that on December 22, one must keep a log (or perhaps logs) burning until December 25 in order to re-ignite the sun.

Learn more about Yuletide traditions on Leon's Planet.