# Easter, Passover



## 2PieRad

What is/are the most common way(s) to say “Easter” and “Passover” in your language? 

I know that many languages use similar words, if not the same word, given that these two holidays are closely related.

Amongst English-speakers, I must say that I have the impression that a lot of people are not aware of the relation between them (myself included in the past), and I think it’s partly because we call them two completely different things in English. Not that I’m an expert, but I found myself explaining the Cole’s notes version of the history of these holidays to a colleague yesterday.


Thanks


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## TheCrociato91

Hello.

In *Italian*, people mostly speak of the Christian Easter, which is called "Pasqua".

To refer to Passover, my impression is that most people simply say "Pasqua Ebraica", which literally translates to "Jewish Easter". I don't think many people are familiar with its specific terminology: Pèsach or Pesah. According to Wikipedia, only 0.7% of Italians are Jews.

I might also add that most religious people _should_ be aware of the relationship (which is made clear by the fact that we use the term "Pasqua" to designate both) and the differences between the two holidays. On the other hand, an average non-believer wouldn't probably know the differences between Easter and Passover. That's how I see things, at least.


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## apmoy70

In Greek Easter is *«Πάσχα»* [ˈpas.xa] (neut.) < Koine Gr. *«Πάσχα» Pắskʰă* (idem) < Heb. *פֶּסַח* (Pesah̩).
Passover is:
(A) *«πέρασμα»* [ˈpe.ɾaz.ma] (neut.) < Byz. Gr. *«πέρασμα» pérasma* (neut.) < Classical aorist stem *«περασ-» pĕrăs-* of Classical denominative v. *«περάω/περῶ» pĕrắō* (uncontracted)/*pĕrô* (contracted) + Classical suffix *«-μα» -mă*, used to form neuter nouns from verbs, denoting action or the object of an action;
(B) *«Διάβαση»* [ˈðʲa.va.si] (fem.) < Classical 3rd declension fem. noun *«διάβασις» dĭắbasis* (nom. sing.), *«διαβάσεως» dĭăbắsĕōs* (gen. sing.) < Classical prefix & preposition *«διά» dĭắ* + Classical 3rd declension deverbative fem. noun *«βάσις» bắsis* (nom. sing.), *«βάσεως» bắsĕōs* (gen. sing.) < Classical v. *«βαίνω» baí̯nō*.
As you can see, neither A nor B is related to «Πάσχα».
However, the word does resemble the Greek v. *«πάσχω»* [ˈpas.xɔ] --> _to suffer_ < Classical v. *«πάσχω» pắskʰō* (no relation between פֶּסַח & πάσχω) that helped many ancient Christian writers make punning references to Christ's suffering.

Edit: Just to wanted to add that the Jewish Passover is *«Νομικόν Πάσχα» Νŏmikón Pắskʰă* (in MoGr pronunciation: [nɔ.miˈkɔ(n) ˈpas.xa] (both neut.)) --> lit. _Legal (of the Law i.e. Mosaic Law) Passover_ (from *«νόμος» nómŏs* (masc.)) --> _law, custom_).


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## Yendred

In *French*:
_Easter = Pâques
Passover = Pessah_ (also sometimes called _Pâque juive_)
So very close to Italian.



TheCrociato91 said:


> I might also add that most religious people _should_ be aware of the relationship



And most rational people should be aware that these religious holidays are modeled on ancient pagan celebrations. Easter corresponds to spring equinox, and Christmas (for example) corresponds to winter solstice.


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## AnythingGoes

Yendred said:


> In *French*:
> _Easter = Pâques
> Passover = Pessah_ (also sometimes called _Pâque juive_)


Dictionaries say that Easter is _les Pâques_ (masculine plural) and Passover is _la Pâques_ (feminine singular) or _le pessah. _I can never keep these straight so I say _la pâque juive._ Now that I know that _pessah_ is also used, I'll stick with the Hebrew loanword.


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## Yendred

AnythingGoes said:


> Dictionaries say that Easter is _les Pâques_ (masculine plural) and Passover is _la Pâques_ (feminine singular)



Just "_Pâques_" with no article for Easter (or at a pinch "_Les fêtes de Pâques_"), and _la Pâque _(with no '_s_') for Passover.
There's no real explanation why one is plural and the other is singular, since this spelling has changed a lot during history. It just seems to be an academic decision going back to the 18th century.

Note that all these terms (French _Pâques_, Italian _Pasqua_, Hebrew _Pessah_, Greek _Πάσχα_) are of course cognates and they all refer to the notion of _passage_: Moses crossing the Red Sea for the Hebraic holiday, or the passage of the Christ from life to death (and vice-versa!) for Easter.
Christians also call these events the _Passion of the Christ_, but although close to _passage_, _Passion _refers to the Latin _patior _= suffer.


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## AnythingGoes

Yendred said:


> Note that all these terms (French _Pâques_, Italian _Pasqua_, Hebrew _Pessah_, Greek _Πάσχα_) are of course cognates and they all refer to the notion of _passage_: Moses crossing the Red Sea for the Hebraic holiday, or the passage of the Christ from life to death (and vice-versa!) for Easter.


The events that Passover celebrates occur before the Red Sea crossing. They culminate in the Angel of Death "passing over" the houses of the Jews when he's killing the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. (It's not a very nice story.) The Seder ends before Moses has reached the Red Sea.


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## nimak

Macedonian 

*Easter* - When we talk about the Christian Easter (_both Orthodox and Catholic_), we call it Велигден (Veligden) ['vɛligdɛn], which literally means "_Great Day_".

*Passover* - When we talk about the Jewish holiday, we call it Пасха (Pasha) ['pas.xa]


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## AndrasBP

In Hungarian, Easter is called *Húsvét */'hu:ʃve:t/, which literally means "taking of meat", i.e. the end of fasting.
For Passover, we use the Hebrew word *Pészah*/Pészach.


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## Perseas

apmoy70 said:


> In Greek Easter is *«Πάσχα»*


Also, «*Λαμπρή*» [lambrí] , though not as common as «Πάσχα».


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## bibax

In Czech:

1) Easter = *Velikonoce* (plur., lit. _"Great-Nights"_, veliký _'great/big'_, noc _'night'_, cf. Macedonian Велигден [Veligden] = "_Great Day_")

it is a calque from Greek *μεγάλη ἡμέρα* [_megalē hēmerā_] (Hemera 'Day' is a daughter of Nyx 'Night').

2) Passover = correctly *Pesach* [ˈpɛsaχ ] (from Hebr. פֶּסַח < _'to skip over'_)

however in the Czech translations of the Bible:

*židovské velikonoce* _('Jewish "great-nights"' = Jewish Easter)_;
*svátek přesnic* (_'the feast of azymous bread'_, přesnice = přesný chléb _'azymous/unfermented bread'_);
also *Fáze* (in the Bible kralická, 16th c.) from Hebr. Pesach (not from phasis/phase, but possibly contaminated);


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## Frank78

In German:

Easter: "Ostern" (same root as the English word)

Passover: "Pessach"


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## OzzyM

AnythingGoes said:


> The events that Passover celebrates occur before the Red Sea crossing. They culminate in the Angel of Death "passing over" the houses of the Jews when he's killing the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.


In the Bible it was God, not the Angel of Death.

While "Pesah" means indeed "pass over", where God spared the Israelites and killed Egyptians, yet since ancient time Pesah is the celebration of slaves who got their freedom, and the most outstanding Jewish trait of eating mazza is to commemorate the haste of preparing bread, too fast to let it become bread.


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## amikama

Hebrew:
Passover - *פסח*
Easter - *פסחא *(from Aramaic)


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## apmoy70

Perseas said:


> Also, «*Λαμπρή*» [lambrí] , though not as common as «Πάσχα».


From the adj. *«λαμπρός, -ρή, -ρό»* [lamˈbrɔs] (masc.), [lamˈbri] (fem.), [lamˈbrɔ] (neut.) --> _brilliant, shining, gleaming_ < Classical deverbative adj. *«λαμπρός, -ρά, -ρόν» lămprós* (masc.), *lămprā́* (fem.), *lămprón* (neut.) --> _bright, radiant, illustrious, joyous, splendid, brilliant_ < Classical v. *«λάμπω» lắmpō* --> _to lighten, glow, illuminate_ (possibly from  a nasalised variant of PIE *leh₂p- _to glow, light_ cf Hitt. lāpp-/lapp- _to glow, flash_, Ltv. lāpa, _torch_, but for Beekes this etymology is problematic due to the nasalisation).
In Mediaeval Gr. the feminine adj. was nominalised and stood alone (the fem. noun *«ἡμέρα» ēméra*, MoGr pron. [iˈme.ɾa] it modified, was omitted).
My grandmother (b. 1906) used to call Easter Sunday, *«Λαμπρή»* [lamˈbri]. It's used very rarely nowadays, it's almost obsolete.
From «Λαμπρή» the MoGr first names *«Λάμπρος»* [ˈlam.brɔs] (masc.) for males, and *«Λαμπρινή»* [lam.briˈni] (fem.) for females, derive.


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## Ansku89

In Finnish Christian Easter is *pääsiäinen. *It's also the word used about Passover in the Old Testament in Christian Bibles. I'm not completely sure if Jewish people use the same word themselves, but everyone else usually uses it in both contexts.

I'm not an expert in languages but as far as I know, the word comes from the verb *päästä* which means things like getting into, out of or rid of something. I've heard several explanations about what this has to do with the holiday. Getting out of slavery in Egypt (Passover)? Getting out of the power of sin and death (Easter)? Getting out of the fasting of Lent (Easter)? I have no idea which one of these, if any, is the original one. But in any case, all of them provide excellent sermon material


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## 2PieRad

Thanks for the responses.


AnythingGoes said:


> Easter is _les Pâques_ (masculine plural) and Passover is _la Pâques_ (feminine singular) or _le pessah._


Weird...I only usually come across this word in the greeting _Joyeuses Pâques_, so I don't think I've ever seen it used in the masculine. (I'm honestly quite surprised to learn this.) WRF has a few threads discussing this:
FR: Pâques / Pâque - genre : masculin / féminin
Pâques / la Pâque - bonne(s)/joyeuse(s) Pâques - genre, nombre et majuscule


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## rushalaim

amikama said:


> Hebrew:
> Passover - *פסח*
> Easter - *פסחא *(from Aramaic)


Aramaic "Passover" is *פצחא דפטירא*


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## L'irlandais

Irish Gaelic/Gaeilge
Easter = an Cháisc (feminine)
Passover = Cáisc (feminine) na nGiúdach (Jewish Easter)


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## Sardokan1.0

_From Latin : *Pascha *-> to Sardinian : *Pasca*_

It's usually known as _*"Pasca de Abrile"*_ (Easter of April), to distinguish it from _*"Pasca de Nadale"*_ (Christmas / Easter of December; in Sardinian Nadale means both Christmas and December).


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## nimak

bibax said:


> In Czech:
> 
> 1) Easter = *Velikonoce* (plur., lit. _"Great-Nights"_, veliký _'great/big'_, noc _'night'_, cf. Macedonian Велигден [Veligden] = "_Great Day_")



It seems in Slavic languages *Easter* is called:

"_*Great Day(s)*_" in Macedonian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
"_*Great Night(s)*_" in Czech, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian
"_*Resurrection*_" in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Serbian
"_*Paskha*_" in Russian


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## AndrasBP

nimak said:


> It seems in Slavic languages *Easter* is called:
> 
> "_*Great Day(s)*_" in Macedonian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian
> "_*Great Night(s)*_" in Czech, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian
> "_*Resurrection*_" in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Serbian
> "_*Paskha*_" in Russian


In Lithuanian, Easter is *Velykos*, a Slavic loan.
In Latvian, it's a calque: *Lieldienas*, lit. "Great Days".


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## bibax

And the calque *"Great Day"* comes from *John 19:31*.

ἦν γὰρ *μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα* ἐκείνου τοῦ σαββάτου
ēn gar *megalē hē hēmera* ekeinou tou sabbatou
erat enim *magnus dies* ille sabbati
for that sabbath was a *great day*
e quel giorno del sabato era un *gran giorno* 
ибо та суббота была *день великий* (Russian)
jo tā bija *lielā* sabata *diena* (Latvian)
etc.


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## apmoy70

apmoy70 said:


> ...
> Edit: Just to wanted to add that the Jewish Passover is *«Νομικόν Πάσχα» Νŏmikón Pắskʰă* (in MoGr pronunciation: [nɔ.miˈkɔ(n) ˈpas.xa] (both neut.)) --> lit. _Legal (of the Law i.e. Mosaic Law) Passover_ (from *«νόμος» nómŏs* (masc.)) --> _law, custom_).


Apologies for quoting myself, but sometimes in the Hellenistic literature, instead of «Νομικόν Πάσχα» we encounter the phrase *«Νομικόν Φάσκα» Nŏmikón Pʰắskă* (in MoGr pron. [nɔ.miˈkɔ(n) ˈfas.ka] (both neut.)); the word «Φάσκα» for the Jewish Passover according to scholars is either a dialectal variant, or the way Alexandrian Jews pronounced the Greek word «Πάσχα»; it's found in Flavius Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews":
«...τῆς τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτῆς θύσαντες τήν λεγομένην Φάσκα» - "...observing the festival of unleavened bread, which is called Phaska" (infact it's feminine in this passage *«ἡ (ἑορτἠ) Φάσκα»*).


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## berndf

Frank78 said:


> Passover: "Pessach"


Or "Passa" (Luther's spelling) or "Passah".


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## elroy

Arabic:

See this thread.


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## Malki92

rushalaim said:


> Aramaic "Passover" is *פצחא דפטירא*


In Syriac ܦܨܚܐ/פצחא is used. However in other forms of Aramaic פסחא (as stated earlier) is used, evidenced throughout the Targumim, Talmud and etc.


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## Lamb67

逾越+ festival (jie2) second tone= Passover😘
yúyuè
〖gobeyond;exceed〗∶超过;超越
〖transgress〗∶走过了界限或边界


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## Welsh_Sion

In common with many fellow-Europeans, we identify 'Easter' as *Pasg*. Note that is shibboleth however as in north of the country it's pronounced /pa:sg/ whilst in the south of Wales it's /pasg/.

'Passover' can also be *Pasg* but in order to distinguish the Jewish festival from the Christian one, it's useful to have the expression, *Gŵyl y Bara Croyw *(Literally, 'The Festival of Unleavened Bread').


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## AutumnOwl

Yendred said:


> In *French*:
> _Easter = Pâques
> Passover = Pessah_ (also sometimes called _Pâque juive_)
> So very close to Italian.


*Swedish:*
Easter - _påsk_
Passover - _pesach_, some say _judisk påsk_, or _det osyrade brödets högtid_ (the religious festival of the unleavened bread).


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## Penyafort

*Catalan:*
Easter = _Pasqua_ (Also called _Pasqua florida_, _Pasqua de resurrecció_ or _Primera pasqua,_ to distinguish it from the _Pasqua granada, Segona pasqua_ or _Pentecosta_, fifty days later)
Passover = _Pasqua jueva_


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