Hooley

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A boisterous social gathering marked by music, dancing, and merriment
2. A festive and energetic party characterized by revelry and good cheer
3. A spirited celebration or shindig with lively entertainment and enjoyment

Etymology: Hooley is a word whose origin is genuinely unclear. Its main sense, a noisy celebration or party, has no traceable etymology. The word's second sense, a strong wind, is possibly borrowed from Orkney Scots "hool" or "hoolan," meaning the same thing, with the English diminutive suffix "-ie" added on. The Orkney word is thought to descend from Norn, the Norse language once spoken in Orkney and Shetland, which in turn came from Old Norse "ýlun," meaning "howling" or "wailing." That Old Norse word derives from "ýla," "to howl," a term whose sound seems to imitate the noise it describes. Whether the wind sense came first or the party sense developed from it is unresolved. The two senses may simply be unconnected, or the party sense may have grown out of the wind sense. Because the party sense's origin is unknown, the link cannot be settled with confidence, and the wind sense remains only a possible source.

Synonyms: party, celebration, spree