Etymology Lessons - April 13th, 2001 - 2.2 - Month Names

January

the first month of the year, containing 31 days. Abbr.: Jan.

[bef. 1000; ME < L, n. use of J!nu!rius, equiv. to J!nu(s) JANUS + -!rius -ARY; r. ME Genever, Jeniver < AF, OF Genever, Jenever < L, as above; r. OE Januarius < L]

February

the second month of the year, ordinarily containing 28 days, but containing 29 days in leap years. Abbr.: Feb.

[bef. 1000; ME; OE Februarius < L Febru!rius (m"nsis) expiatory (month), der. of februa (pl.) expiatory offerings; see -ARY]

    March

    the third month of the year, containing 31 days.

    Abbr.: Mar. [bef. 1050; ME March(e) < AF Marche; r. OE Martius < L, short for M!rtius m"nsis month of Mars (M!rti-, s. of M!rs + -us adj. suffix)]

    April

    the fourth month of the year, containing 30 days. Abbr.: Apr.

    [bef. 1150; ME < L Apr#lis (adj., as modifying m"nsis month), prob. based on Etruscan apru APHRODITE < Gk Aphrod#t"; r. ME Averil (< OF avril < L), in its turn replacing late OE aprilis (< L)]

    May

    1. the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
    2. the early part of one's life, esp. the prime: a young woman in her May.

    3. (l.c.) to gather flowers in the spring: when we were maying.

    [bef. 1050; ME, OE Maius < L, short for Maius m"nsis Maia's month]

    June

    the sixth month of the year, containing 30 days. Abbr.: Jun.

    [bef. 1050; ME jun(e), OE iunius < L (m"nsis) J%nius, after the name of a gens; r. ME juyng < OF juin(g) < L, as above]

    July

    the seventh month of the year, containing 31 days. Abbr.: Jul.

    [bef. 1050; ME julie < AF < L J%lius (CAESAR), after whom it was named; r. OE Julius < L; ME ju(i)l < OF < L]

    August

    the eighth month of the year, containing 31 days. Abbr.: Aug.

    [bef. 1100; ME < L Augustus (named after AUGUSTUS); r. OE Agustus < L, as above]

    September

the ninth month of the year, containing 30 days. Abbr.: Sept., Sep.
[bef. 1050; ME Septembre, OE < L September seventh month in the early Roman calendar; for formation see DECEMBER]

    October

the tenth month of the year, containing 31 days. Abbr.: Oct.
 
[bef. 1050; ME, OE < L Oct$ber the eighth month of the early Roman year, equiv. to oct$- OCTO- + -ber, on the model of September, November, December; see DECEMBER]

    November

    the eleventh month of the year, containing 30 days.

    [bef. 1000; ME, OE < L: the ninth month of the early Roman calendar, compound with novem NINE; for final element see DECEMBER]

    December

    the twelfth month of the year, containing 31 days. Abbr.: Dec.

    [bef. 1000; ME decembre < OF < L december (s. decembr-) the tenth month of the early Roman year, appar. < *dec(em)-membri-, equiv. to decem TEN + *-membri- < mens- month + -ri- suffix (with -sr- >-br- and assimilation of nasal)]

    Gods

    Janus n.

      1. an ancient Roman god of doorways, of beginnings, and of the rising and setting of the sun, usually represented as having one head with two bearded faces back to back, looking in opposite directions.
      2. Astron. a moon of the planet Saturn, located just outside the rings.

    [< L, special use of j!nus doorway, archway, arcade]

Maia n. Class. Myth.

the eldest of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes by Zeus.

Bibliography
Gathered and Edited by Çetin Sert
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