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AHistoryoftheMonthsandtheMeaningsoftheirNames

AHistoryoftheMonthsandthe
MeaningsoftheirNames
AHistoryoftheMonths
JanuaryJanus'smonth
FebruarymonthofFebrua
Intercalarisintercalendarmonth
MarchMars'month
AprilAphrodite'smonth
MayMaia'smonth
JuneJuno'smonth
JulyJuliusCaesar'smonth
AugustAugustusCaesar'smonth
Septembertheseventhmonth
Octobertheeighthmonth
Novembertheninethmonth
Decemberthetenthmonth
Sources
SeeAlso

AHistoryoftheMonths
TheoriginalRomanyearhad10namedmonthsMartius"March",Aprilis"April",Maius"May",Junius"June",Quintilis"July",Sextilis"August",September"September",October"October",November"November",
December"December",andprobablytwounnamedmonthsinthedeadofwinterwhennotmuchhappenedinagriculture.TheyearbeganwithMartius"March".NumaPompilius,thesecondkingofRomecirca700
BC,addedthetwomonthsJanuarius"January"andFebruarius"February".HealsomovedthebeginningoftheyearfromMariustoJanuariusandchangedthenumberofdaysinseveralmonthstobeodd,alucky
number.AfterFebruariustherewasoccasionallyanadditionalmonthofIntercalaris"intercalendar".ThisistheoriginoftheleapyeardaybeinginFebruary.In46BC,JuliusCaesarreformedtheRomancalendar
(hencetheJuliancalendar)changingthenumberofdaysinmanymonthsandremovingIntercalaris.

JanuaryJanus'smonth
MiddleEnglishJanuarie
LatinJanuarius"ofJanus"
LatinJanu(s)"Janus"+arius"ary(pertainingto)"
LatinJanuariusmensis"monthofJanus"
JanusistheRomangodofgatesanddoorways,depictedwithtwofaceslookinginoppositedirections.HisfestivalmonthisJanuary.
Januariushad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame31dayslong.

FebruarymonthofFebrua
MiddleEnglishFebruarius
LatinFebruarius"ofFebrua"
LatinFebrua(s)"Februa"+arius"ary(pertainingto)"
LatinFebruariusmensis"monthofFebrua"
Latindiesfebruatus"dayofpurification"
Februariushad28days,untilcirca450BCwhenithad23or24daysonsomeofeverysecondyear,untilJuliuswhenithad29daysoneveryfourthyearand28daysotherwise.
FebruaistheRomanfestivalofpurification,heldonFebruaryfifteenth.ItispossiblyofSabineorigin.
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Intercalarisintercalendarmonth
LatinIntercalaris"intercalendar"
LatinMercedonius(popularname)"?"
Intercalarishad27daysuntilthemonthwasabolishedbyJulius.

MarchMars'month
MiddleEnglishMarch(e)
AngloFrenchMarch(e)
OldEnglishMartius
LatinMartius"ofMars"
LatinMarti(s)"Mars"+us(adj.suffix)
LatinMartiusmensis"monthofMars"
Martiushasalwayshad31days.
Marchwastheoriginalbeginningoftheyear,andthetimefortheresumptionofwar.
MarsistheRomangodofwar.HeisidentifiedwiththeGreekgodAres.

AprilAphrodite'smonth
OldEnglishApril(is)
LatinAprilis
EtruscanApru
GreekAphro,shortforAphrodite.
Aprilishad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame30dayslong.
AphroditeistheGreekgoddessofloveandbeauty.SheisidentifiedwiththeRomangoddessVenus.

MayMaia'smonth
OldFrenchMai
OldEnglishMaius
LatinMaius"ofMaia"
LatinMaiusmensis"monthofMaia"
Maiushasalwayshad31days.
Maia(meaning"thegreatone")istheItalicgoddessofspring,thedaughterofFaunus,andwifeofVulcan.

JuneJuno'smonth
MiddleEnglishjun(e)
OldFrenchjuin
OldEnglishjunius
LatinJunius"ofJuno"
LatinJuniusmensis"monthofJuno"
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Juniushad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame30dayslong.
JunoistheprinciplegoddessoftheRomanPantheon.Sheisthegoddessofmarriageandthewellbeingofwomen.SheisthewifeandsisterofJupiter.SheisidentifiedwiththeGreekgoddessHera.

JulyJuliusCaesar'smonth
MiddleEnglishJulie
LatinJulius"Julius"
LatinJuliusmensis"monthofJulius"
Latinquintilismensis"fifthmonth"
Quintilis(andlaterJulius)hasalwayshad31days.
JuliusCaesarreformedtheRomancalendar(hencetheJuliancalendar)in46BC.Intheprocess,herenamedthismonthafterhimself.

AugustAugustusCaesar'smonth
LatinAugustus"Augustus"
LatinAugustusmensis"monthofAugustus"
Latinsextilismensis"sixthmonth"
Sextilishad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame31dayslong.
AugustusCaesarclarifiedandcompletedthecalendarreformofJuliusCaesar.Intheprocess,healsorenamedthismonthafterhimself.

Septembertheseventhmonth
MiddleEnglishseptembre
LatinSeptember
Latinseptem"seven"+ber(adj.suffix)
Latinseptembermensis"seventhmonth"
Septemberhad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame30dayslong.

Octobertheeighthmonth
MiddleEnglishoctobre
LatinOctober
Latinocto"eight"+ber(adj.suffix)
Latinoctobermensis"eighthmonth"
Octoberhasalwayshad31days.

Novembertheninethmonth
MiddleEnglishNovembre
LatinNovember
LatinNovembrismensis"ninethmonth"
Novembrishad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame30dayslong.
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Decemberthetenthmonth
MiddleEnglishdecembre
OldFrenchdecembre
Latindecember"tenthmonth"
Latindecem"ten"+ber(adj.suffix)
Decemberhad30days,untilNumawhenithad29days,untilJuliuswhenitbecame31dayslong.

Sources
Thesesourcesaresomewhatinconsistent.Ihavechoseninterpretationsthatarepredominateamongsourcesorthatseemmostreasonable.
WilliamMorris,editor,TheAmericanHeritageDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage,NewCollegeEdition,HoughtonMifflinCompany,Boston,1976
Webster'sEncyclopedicUnabridgedDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage,PortlandHouse,NewYork,1989
WilliamMatthewO'Neil,TimeandtheCalendars,SydneyUniversityPress,1975

SeeAlso
TheRoyalGreenwichObservatoryprovidesinformationontime,thecalendar,thedateofEaster,theequationoftime,leapyears,andtheyear2000AD.
TheUnitedStatesNavalObservatoryhasseveralsystemsoftime.
LawrenceA.Crowl,crowl@cs.orst.edu,27September1995

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