Songfests

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Informal gatherings where people come together to sing songs, often in a relaxed and communal atmosphere
2. Social events centered on group singing, where participants share music and enjoy performing together
3. Occasions set aside for collective singing, typically organized as festive or celebratory get-togethers

Etymology: "Songfest" is a compound of "song" and "-fest," and the second part is the more interesting one. "Song" descends from Old English "sang," traceable back through Proto-Germanic to a root shared with words like "sing." The suffix "-fest" comes from German "Fest," meaning a festival or celebration, which English borrowed as a standalone word and then, in the twentieth century, began using as a productive ending. The "fest" element arrived through German "Fest," which itself traces back through Middle High German to a Latin root, "festum," meaning a feast or holiday. Latin "festum" is also the source of English "feast" and "festive" through French, so the German and English words are distant relatives, reaching English along different paths. "Songfest" is a modern compound, and the plural "songfests" is simply the regular form, meaning several such gatherings where people sing together.

Synonyms: sing-along