holidayn.

Etymology: Old English háligdæg (dative plural háligdagum ), found beside the uncompounded hálig dæg in two words (dative plural hálgum dagum ). In the combined form Old English á instead of being rounded to Middle English ô , was shortened to a (compare hallow n.¹, Hallowmas n., halibut n., halidom n.), giving halidai , halliday , used till 16th cent. But the uncombined form was in concurrent use, and became more frequent as the distinction in signification between sense 1 and sense 2 became more marked, until, in the 16th cent., holy day or holy-day became the usual form in sense 1. About the same time holiday (holliday), with o short, being a later combination and shortening of holy day, rare in late Middle English, took the place of the earlier haliday, which however remained in the northern dialects, where also (especially in Scotland) the uncombined form was haly day. It is thus difficult to divide holiday and holy-day in sense 1. Under this article are included the combined forms haliday , holiday ; the uncombined forms, as well as those in which the vocalization shows that the word was analyzed, are treated under holy-day n. But the habits of mediæval scribes as to the combination or separation of the elements of compounds were so irregular, and the treatment of the matter by modern editors is so uncertain, that many Middle English instances might be placed under either article.