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#Post#: 14--------------------------------------------------
How were mopnths named?
DIR By: toolebox
Date: January 20, 2024, 10:35 am
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The months get their names from1234:
Greek and Roman deities, such as Janus, Mars, and June.
Roman rulers, such as Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar, who
named July and August after themselves.
Numbers, such as September, October, November, and December,
which were originally the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth
months in the Roman calendar.
Latin words or festivals, such as February, which comes from
februa, a Roman purification festival.
Why did the months of July and August used to be called
Quintilis and Sextilis? And why does the month of February have
that random letter “r” in the middle of it?
These monthly mysteries may sound unsolvable, but they all have
an answer — and you have Julius Caesar to thank. (Et tu, brute?)
The History Behind the Months of the Year
While we’re all used to our 12 months of the year, the calendar
hasn’t always looked that way.
Early Greek and Babylonian calendars used the lunar cycle to
chart their months, and the Roman Empire adapted these systems
into their first Roman calendar — which would face a few more
revisions over the next millenia.
Calendar
Introduced
Features
Roman calendar
738 B.C. (King Romulus)
10-month calendar with 355 days
8-day week
unnamed winter season
Julian calendar
46 B.C. (Julius Caesar)
12-month calendar with 365 days
added the winter months January (Ianuarius) and February
(Februarius) to better match the lunar cycle
Gregorian calendar
1882 A.D. (Pope Gregory XIII)
12-month calendar
adjusted the days of each month for more accurate leap years
Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar today. But what
does the history of our calendar have to do with the names of
the month?
Quite a bit — every month was named (and renamed, in some cases)
after Roman mythology, Roman emperors, and the Latin language.
January: The Roman God Janus
Originally Ianuarius in the Roman calendar, January is named
after the two-faced Roman god Janus.
That’s not to say he was untrustworthy; Janus literally had two
faces in Roman mythology, each symbolizing part of a
transitional period. Since January transitions us from last year
to a new year, it’s an apt symbol.
February: The Festival of Februalia
February (Februarius in the Roman calendar) refers to the Roman
purification festival of Februalia, which comes from the Latin
februa — “to cleanse.” That’s where that mysterious “r” comes
from; in Latin, februa is pronounced feb-roo-ah.
Februalia lasted for 12 days in the second month of the year and
involved atonement and sacrifices to the Roman gods.
ADVERTISEMENMarch: The Roman God Mars
In the Roman calendar,
March (or Martius) was the first official month of the year. It
was named after the Roman god of war, Mars, because military
operations began after the thaw of winter.
FAST FACT
Our modern “Tuesday” is also named after the god of war — in
Latin, Tuesday is dies Martis, which becomes martes in Spanish,
martedì in Italian, and mardi in French.
April: The Latin Word “Aperio”
Known as Aprilis in the early Roman calendar, April was named
after the Latin word aperio, meaning “to open.” It refers to the
opening of buds and blossoms in the month of April.
Double Lightning Bolts With Latin Word "Fulminare" and Meaning
READ MORE
25 Most Beautiful Latin Words and Meaning
May: The Roman Goddess MaiMay: The Roman Goddess Maia
The springtime plant theme continues into May (Maius), which was
named after the earth and plant goddess Maia. In addition, the
Greek name Maia means “mother” — another symbol of the earth’s
rebirth.
The springtime plant theme continues into May (Maius), which was
named after the earth and plant goddess Maia. In addition, the
Greek name Maia means “mother” — another symbol of the earth’s
rebirth.
June: The Roman Goddess Juno
June’s status as an ideal month for weddings dates all the way
back to the Roman calendar.
Originally Iunius, the month was named after the Roman goddess
of marriage, Juno, whose name also has root in the Latin word
for “youth” (juvenis).
July: Julius Caesar
The Roman calendar named the rest of its months after their
placement in the year. That’s why July, the original fifth month
of the year (remember that January and February didn’t exist
yet), was called Quintilis (“fifth” in Latin).
After the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., the month was
renamed July to honor the late leader.
August: Augustus Caesar
August, the sixth month in the Roman calendar, used to be
Sextilis (meaning “sixth” in Latin) until 8 B.C.
Like July, the month was renamed after a prominent Roman leader
— in this case, the first emperor of the Roman empire (and
Julius Caesar’s heir), Augustus.
September: “Septem” (Seven)
Even though the Roman calendar changed from 10 months to 12
months, the rest of the months kept their (now inaccurate)
numbered names.
September comes from the Latin word for “seven,” septem, because
it was originally the seventh month of the year. The month has
been named September in every iteration of the Roman calendar.
October: “Octo” (Eight)
If you’ve ever wondered why both octopus and October begin with
the Latin word for “eight,” wonder no more — October used to be
the eighth month of the year.
November: “Novem” (Nine)
November, the month’s name in the Roman and Gregorian calendar,
comes from the month’s original placement in the year — month
number nine (novem means “ninth” in Latin).
December: “Decem” (Ten)
December has always been the last month of the year, but back
when it was in the Roman calendar, it was the tenth month, not
the twelfth. (Decem means “tenth,” just like the prefix deci
means “ten”
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