[b]A History of the Months[/b]
The original Roman year had 10 named months
[i]Martius[/i] "March",
[i]Aprilis[/i] "April",
[i]Maius[/i] "May",
[i]Junius[/i] "June",
[i]Quintilis[/i] "July",
[i]Sextilis[/i] "August",
[i]September[/i] "September",
[i]October[/i] "October",
[i]November[/i] "November",
[i]December[/i] "December",
and probably two unnamed months
in the dead of winter when not much happened in agriculture.
The year began with [i]Martius[/i] "March".
Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC,
added the two months
[i]Januarius[/i] "January" and
[i]Februarius[/i] "February".
He also moved the beginning of the year from
[i]Marius[/i] to
[i]Januarius[/i]
and changed the number of days in several months to be odd, a lucky number.
After [i]Februarius[/i]
there was occasionally an additional month
of [i]Intercalaris[/i] "intercalendar".
This is the origin of the leap-year day being in February.
In 46 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar
(hence the Julian calendar)
changing the number of days in many months
and removing [i]Intercalaris[/i].
[b]January -- Janus's month[/b]
Middle English [i]Januarie[/i]
Latin [i]Januarius[/i] "of Janus"
Latin [i]Janu(s)[/i] "Janus" + -[i]arius[/i] "ary (pertaining to)"
Latin [i]Januarius mensis[/i] "month of Janus"
Janus is the Roman god of gates and doorways,
depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions.
His festival month is January.
Januarius had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 31 days long.
[b]February -- month of Februa[/b]
Middle English [i]Februarius[/i]
Latin [i]Februarius[/i] "of Februa"
Latin [i]Februa(s)[/i] "Februa" + -[i]arius[/i] "ary (pertaining to)"
Latin [i]Februarius mensis[/i] "month of Februa"
Latin [i]dies februatus[/i] "day of purification"
[i]Februarius[/i] had 28 days,
until circa 450 BC
when it had 23 or 24 days on some of every second year,
until Julius when it had 29 days on every fourth year
and 28 days otherwise.
Februa is the Roman festival of purification,
held on February fifteenth.
It is possibly of Sabine origin.
[b]Intercalaris -- inter-calendar month[/b]
Latin [i]Intercalaris[/i] "inter-calendar"
Latin [i]Mercedonius[/i] (popular name) "?"
[i]Intercalaris[/i] had 27 days
until the month was abolished by Julius.
[b]March -- Mars' month[/b]
Middle English [i]March(e)[/i]
Anglo-French [i]March(e)[/i]
Old English [i]Martius[/i]
Latin [i]Martius[/i] "of Mars"
Latin [i]Marti(s)[/i] "Mars" + -[i]us[/i] (adj. suffix)
Latin [i]Martius mensis[/i] "month of Mars"
[i]Martius[/i] has always had 31 days.
March was the original beginning of the year,
and the time for the resumption of war.
Mars is the Roman god of war.
He is identified with the Greek god
[url=http://info.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html#Ares]Ares[/url].
[b]April -- Aphrodite's month[/b]
Old English [i]April(is)[/i]
Latin [i]Aprilis[/i]
Etruscan [i]Apru[/i]
Greek [i]Aphro[/i], short for [i]Aphrodite[/i].
[i]Aprilis[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 30 days long.
[url=http://info.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html#Aphrodite]Aphrodite[/url]
is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
She is identified with the Roman goddess Venus.
[b]May -- Maia's month[/b]
Old French [i]Mai[/i]
Old English [i]Maius[/i]
Latin [i]Maius[/i] "of Maia"
Latin [i]Maius mensis[/i] "month of Maia"
[i]Maius[/i] has always had 31 days.
Maia (meaning "the great one") is the Italic goddess of spring,
the daughter of Faunus, and wife of Vulcan.
[b]June -- Juno's month[/b]
Middle English [i]jun(e)[/i]
Old French [i]juin[/i]
Old English [i]junius[/i]
Latin [i]Junius[/i] "of Juno"
Latin [i]Junius mensis[/i] "month of Juno"
[i]Junius[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 30 days long.
Juno is the principle goddess of the Roman Pantheon.
She is the goddess of marriage and the well-being of women.
She is the wife and sister of Jupiter.
She is identified with the Greek goddess
[url=http://info.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html#Hera]Hera[/url].
[b]July -- Julius Caesar's month[/b]
Middle English [i]Julie[/i]
Latin [i]Julius[/i] "Julius"
Latin [i]Julius mensis[/i] "month of Julius"
Latin [i]quintilis mensis[/i] "fifth month"
[i]Quintilis[/i] (and later [i]Julius[/i]) has always had 31 days.
Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar
(hence the Julian calendar) in 46 BC.
In the process, he renamed this month after himself.
[b]August -- Augustus Caesar's month[/b]
Latin [i]Augustus[/i] "Augustus"
Latin [i]Augustus mensis[/i] "month of Augustus"
Latin [i]sextilis mensis[/i] "sixth month"
[i]Sextilis[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 31 days long.
Augustus Caesar clarified and completed the calendar reform
of Julius Caesar.
In the process, he also renamed this month after himself.
[b]September -- the seventh month[/b]
Middle English [i]septembre[/i]
Latin [i]September[/i]
Latin [i]septem[/i] "seven" + [i]-ber[/i] (adj. suffix)
Latin [i]september mensis[/i] "seventh month"
[i]September[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 30 days long.
[b]October -- the eighth month[/b]
Middle English [i]octobre[/i]
Latin [i]October[/i]
Latin [i]octo[/i] "eight" + [i]-ber[/i] (adj. suffix)
Latin [i]october mensis[/i] "eighth month"
[i]October[/i] has always had 31 days.
[b]November -- the nineth month[/b]
Middle English [i]Novembre[/i]
Latin [i]November[/i]
Latin [i]Novembris mensis[/i] "nineth month"
[i]Novembris[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 30 days long.
[b]December -- the tenth month[/b]
Middle English [i]decembre[/i]
Old French [i]decembre[/i]
Latin [i]december[/i] "tenth month"
Latin [i]decem[/i] "ten" + [i]-ber[/i] (adj. suffix)
[i]December[/i] had 30 days,
until Numa when it had 29 days,
until Julius when it became 31 days long.
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