Ray Brown wrote:
>Obviously the second part of the word has been reformed under the
>influence of French _messe_ (mass) - it may be this is what
>Charlie's dictionary was referring to. But it should not have said
>that _kermis_ was from french. That is incorrect.
AHD does not say that. That was my original supposition. AHD traces
it directly to Dutch.
>What slightly puzzles me is why the Mexicans in Charlie's parish
should then have reverted to the original Dutch spelling. Maybe some
>one's Spanish-English dictionary said that the English for
_kermés_
>was 'kermis'
They didn't revert. They use kermés. I used kermis in speaking
to
my American parishioners & for use in the newspaper ad. AHD also
gives kermess & kirmess.
Thanks for the much more detailed history of the word.
Charlie