caroler
Meaning
a person who goes from house to house singing Christmas carols, often in a group.
Structure
Usage
the group of carolers sang "silent night" beautifully on our doorstep.
she has been a dedicated caroler in the community choir for over a decade.
we heard the carolers approaching and quickly lit a candle to place in the window.
Etymology
the word 'caroler' is built upon 'carol', which entered english from old french, denoting a festive song or dance. its deeper origins trace to the latin 'choraula' and greek 'choraulēs', terms for a musician accompanying a choral dance, combining 'choros' (dance, chorus) and 'aulos' (a wind instrument). the suffix '-er', of germanic origin, is a prolific agent-noun marker in english. thus, a 'caroler' literally means 'one who performs carols', a term that evolved from its ancient association with communal music and dance to specifically describe a singer of traditional, especially christmas, songs.
Analysis
carol: from old french 'carole', a kind of circle dance accompanied by singing; ultimately from latin 'choraula' and greek 'choraulēs', meaning a flute player who accompanies a chorus. er: from old english '-ere', a suffix forming agent nouns indicating a person who performs a specific action.