Months of the Year
January.
This month was named after the Roman god Janus. Who had two faces,
one looking back and the other looking forward. Fitting for the first
month of the year.
February.
This month was named forfebrua meaning month of
purification and offerings.
March.
This month was named after the Roman god of war Mars.
September
When the Romans introduced the Julian calendar, they retained
several month names from their old Roman calendar, despite the fact that
these months no longer had the same position on the calendar. Thus,
September, once the Roman seventh month of the year, deriving from the
Latin septem, " seven", remained as the ninth month of the year.
QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins
By Robert Hendrickson
October
Latin, the ninth month of the primitive Roman calendar,
which began in March, fr. octo eight: cf.F. Octobre.
- The tenth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.
- Ale or cider made in that month.
The country gentlemen had a posset or drink they called October.
--Emerson.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
November
The Ninth moth. The ancient Romans calculated the begining of their
year in March. Hence they named the ninth month novembris or
november. November and Novembris were derivatives of latin
novem "nine."
Source: Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto
December.
This month is named after the Roman word Deca meaning 10. In the
original Roman calendar there were only 10 months.
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