- seven swans a swimming
Though your fowl capacity might be supassed by now, there are still reasons to be grateful; at least this seventh-day gift is not seven swans a singing, the result of which would surely classify as a swan song. A more ominous gift than anyone wants at x-mas time. The word swan is related to the old English 'geswin', which means 'melody, song', and 'swinsian', which means 'to make melody'.
- eight maids a milking
The milking done on the eight day of x-mas is almost certainly done with the best intentions, but since this song's appearance in the late 1700, the verb 'milk' has been used for a range of actions, often exploitative or dishonest in nature. In cards, 'to milk the pack' means to shadily deal cards by pulling them from both the top and bottom of the deck; 'to milk' at the horse race was to throw a horse race, and 'milk' also picked up the meaning of 'to bug a telephone'.
- nine ladies dancing
The word 'lady' comes to us from the old English 'hlaefdige' meaning literally 'one who kneads bread', or more broadly 'wife of a lord'. The word 'dance' came to English around the year 1300 from the old French 'dancier'. It replaced the old English word for dance, 'sealtian'.
- ten lords a leaping
Today this word today refers to a male head of household and even to a higher power. But the word 'lord' comes from the old English 'hlafweard' which literally meant 'loaf-keeper'. In this sense loaf-keeper reflected the societal model in which the head of household kept the bread and his family and servants ate the bread.
- eleven pipers piping
The word 'pipe' meaning 'to play on a pipe' can be traced back to the latin 'pipare', meaning to peep chirp. This was the first of many verb senses that arose for the word, including 'to make a shrill sound like a pipe', 'to lead or bring by playing on a pipe', and in baking 'to force dough or frosting through a pastry tube'.
- twelve drummers drumming
The word 'drum' is a back formation of the longer word 'drumslade', which is from the dutch or low German word 'Trommelslag', which meant 'drum beat'.
Finish then... enjoy your Christmas for the one who celebrate it... Gbu all..
Cikarang, two days to Christmas...
