[net.followup] Names of Months

rhm (10/27/82)

The news that the month of May is derived from a Scandinavian word
rather than from the Latin certainly will come as surprise to most
linguists,

Isn't it odd that every other month name in English comes from the
Latin name for the same month but May doesn't, even though the Latin
word for May was Maia.

pcmcgeer (10/28/82)

	I believe April and February are also Celtic names.  Certainly I can't
think of the Latin derivation for either, and there was a time when I knew a
fair bit of Latin.
				Rick

rvpalliende (10/29/82)

Neither February nor April are Celtic names.
I understood that February derives from a Roman goddess Februa. The
COD says it's from a Roman purification feast called "februa".
April: The COD only says it derives from Latin "Aprilis".
May: Latin "Maius", of the goddes Maia.
It would be more efficient if people searched information in books first
and in the net only if books failed. Or maybe we should have
an encyclopedia on line.
By the way (and contravening my own advice) does anyone know
why Latin for August was "sextilis" instead ov "sextember"?

mem (10/31/82)

c
Hey!  one "of",  one "ov".  He must be half convinced.

rra (11/02/82)

The calendar history is about as follows:

The year originally began in March and ended with December, the tenth month.
All the rest of the year was called "winter", when nothing was done.
Eventually "winter" was divided into two months - January and
February.  Since February was the last month it got whatever days were not
used by the other months.  That is why it has the leap day added to it.
And why Augustus felt free to take an extra day for "his" month.

January became the first month, and was named for the two=faced god,
Janus, who looks both ways.

February was named for the fever which was, and still is, common then.

Mars was not only the god of war, but of the farm, and in his month
of spring, farming started.

April was probably named for the unfolding, the opening up
that occurs then in the fields.

May and June may have been named for persons, or gods, but may also
have been named for the "major" and "junior" months of the 
agricultural season.

July for Julius Ceaser and August for Augustus Ceasar.

					rra
					ariel!rra