Michaelmas term

Meaning

Noun

• The first term of the legal year, running from October to December, during which the upper courts of England and Wales, and Ireland, sit to hear cases.
• The first academic term of the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, and other educational institutions, running from October to December; the term was modelled after the legal term, but does not begin and end on the same dates.

Origin

• . Michael is derived from Late Latin Michahel, from Koine Greek Μιχαήλ, from Ancient Hebrew מִיכָאֵל; while -mas is from mass, from Middle English masse, from Old English mæsse, from Vulgar Latin *messa, from Late Latin missa, a noun use of the feminine past participle of Latin mittere, the present active infinitive of mittō, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meytH-. The Christian feast day of Michaelmas, 29 September, occurs a few days before the start of this term.