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Native Languages Months Etymology Edit Topics

What's the etymology of the names of the months in your

native language?
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31 ANSWERS

Ahmad Kadan, knows Arabic

Answered Sep 10

In the case of Syria, we have two calendars, the gregorian calendar and the Islamic
hijri calendar.

The gregorian calendar.

Upvote · 105 Share Open in app

Upvote · 105 Share Open in app
106
We use the Syro-Mesopotamian months names of the Assyrian calendar, They are
derived from the Syriac Aramaic names of the Assyrian calendar. These names are
cognate with some of the names of the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars.

‫الثاني‬/ ‫كانون االول‬-Kanun Al-Awal/thani. Used for December and January

respectively. It's derived from the Akkadian root (kan) which means stability
and subsidence, referring to the agriculture status during winter as farmers
stay in their homes in a stable state.

‫شباط‬- Shibatt. Used for February. It's derived from the Syriac and Akkadian root
(shabat) which means whipping a skin, referring to the cold wind.

‫آذار‬- Aathar. Used for March, derived from the Akkadian root (Hadar) which
means roaring as for the roaring storms during this month.

‫ نيسان‬- Nisan. Used for April. An Akkadian word for the start of spring or
“blooming“

‫ أيّار‬- Ayyar. Used for May. It's also an Akkadian word for light and warmth.

‫ حزيران‬- Huzeyran. Used for June. A Syriac word for “Harvest”

‫ تموز‬- Tammuz. Used for July. The etymology of this word is a Babylonian-
Sumerian of “Du” which means son and “Zi” which means life.

‫ آب‬- Aab. Used for August. Aab has an Akkadian meaning “planting” and a
Syriac meaning “Ripe fruits”, which refers to collecting ripe fruits during
August.

‫ أيلول‬- Aylul. used for September. It has an Akkadian origin, it was told that it
means “shouting” due to the sacrifices that were given during this month.

‫الثاني‬/ ‫تشرين األول‬- Teshreen Al-Awal/Thani. used for October and November
respectively. It’s a mutual semetic root for “starting”, which refers to the
farmers starting to plow their lands.

The Hijri calendar.

The Hijri months have the same names of the old Arabic calendar.
 ‫محرم‬- Muharram. It means forbidden, because Arabs forbid fighting during this
month.

‫ صفر‬- Safar. From the verb ‫“ تصفر‬become empty” because Arab tribes used to
leave their homes to search for food.

‫ربيع االول‬/‫ربيع الثاني‬- Rabi’ Al-Awwal/thani. Rabi’ means spring, so Arabs

encountered spring during these two months and the name accompanied
them later on.

‫الثاني‬/ ‫ جمادى األول‬- Jumada Al-Awwal/thani. It's derived from the root (Jamad-
freeze) as winter occured during these two months.

‫رجب‬- Rajab. Arabs also forbid fighting during Rajab, and it’s said ‫ رجب الشيء‬as to
fear and glorify a thing.

‫ شعبان‬- Sha’ban. Derived from the root (‫شعب‬-scatter) as people would either
scatter looking for water or prepare for war.

‫رمضان‬- Ramadan. Derived from Ramdaa’ ‫ رمضاء‬which means scorching heat.

‫شوال‬-Shawwal. From the verb (‫ )ش ّول‬which means became dry, referring to when
their cattles stop producing milk.

‫ذو القعدة‬- Thu Al-Qi’da. It's derived from the verb (‫ )قعد‬which means to sit down
and settle , as arab tribes settle and stop any form of fighting.

‫ذو الحجة‬- Thu Al-Hijja. The pilgrimage month,

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Federico Bruzone
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 Jawad
Upvote Yuwono,
· 45 Javanese passive user
Share
Updated46
Sep 15

Since Indonesian names of the months are based on boring Latin-derived Dutch
names, I will talk about Javanese months here.

Sultan Agung of Mataram (who led the last “unified” Javanese kingdom) adopted a
system based on Islamic lunar calendar in 1633 CE. While the months are equivalent to
the Islamic ones, it didn’t adopt the Hijri year, instead, it continued the count of
Shalivahana era, resulting in a 512-year difference between Javanese calendar and
Islamic calendar proper.[1]

Another difference is that each Javanese month has a fixed number of days (altering
between 29 and 30 days), with one leap day added in the last month of years Ehe, Je,
and Jimakir (years 2nd, 4th, and 8th of the windu 8-year cycle).

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Taiki Fujimoto (藤本 大輝), An ordinary guy hailing from Fukuoka, Japan
Upvote · 15 Share
Answered Sep 20
16

(Thanks for the A2A, Julian Fejzo.

In Japanese, the months are simply numbered from one to twelve. For example,
January is the first month of the year, therefore it is called "ichi-gatsu."
However, There are also old names of each month that dates back to the Heian period
and are based on the lunar calendar. Today they are not normally used when saying the
date. They are written in a Japanese calendar (sometimes) along with modern names.
They are also used in poems.

Please note that the old Japanese calendar was about a month behind the European
calendar.

January (Ichi-Gatsu/一月) - Traditional Name ; Mutsuki (睦月)

Month of “Love alternatively Affection/Month of Harmony”. Literally, spending New

year with family in a harmonious aura with your loved ones.

February (Ni-Gatsu/二月) - Traditional Name ; Kisaragi (如月)

Month of “changing to extra layers of clothes”. But its interpreted as “Time to wear
extra layers clothes because Winter isn’t over”.
 March (San-Gatsu/三月) - Traditional Name ; Yayoi (弥生)

Month of “Growth/New life”. Spring have come and scene of greenery are there again.
 April (Shi-Gatsu/四月) - Traditional Name ; Udzuki/Uzuki (卯月)

The times where u-no-hana flower (卯の花) blooms. The kanji character for April in the
Japanese calendar “Udzuki/Uzuki” meant “the month of the Deutzia or U-no-hana”.

May (Go-Gatsu/五月) - Traditional Name ; Satsuki (皐月)

A time to plant Rice! “Early Rice Planting month”

 June (Roku-Gatsu/六月) - Traditional Name ; Minazuki (水無月)

Month of “water”. Literally meant “a time where water is important”. In reference to the
flooding of the rice fields, which require numerous water.
 July (Shichi-Gatsu/七月) ; Traditional Name ; Fumizuki (文月)

Month of “Where Rice seedlings started to grow” and Summer Festivals like Tanabata.
 August (Hachi-Gatsu/八月) - Traditional Name ; Hazuki (葉月)

Month of leaves (Falling leaves). Basically at the start of Autumn, Leaves are falling
everywhere.
 September (Kyu/Ku-Gatsu/九月) - Traditional Name ; Nagatsuki (長月)

The “Long” month. The times where nights begin to be longer than daytime.
 October ( (Jū-Gatsu/十月) - Traditional Name : Kannazuki (神無月)

Month of “Gods”, A month where the Shinto Gods (Kami) leave their places and gather
at Izumo Taisha Shrine (Izumo, Shimane Prefecture), one of the most ancient Shrines
in Japan.
 November (Jū-ichi-Gatsu/十一月) - Traditional Name : Shimotsuki (霜月)

Month of “Frost”. The Cold winds started to blow. Falling leaves will change to Falling
snow.
 December (Jū-ni-Gatsu/十二月) - Traditional House : Shiwasu (師走)

Month of “running priests”. This is in reference to priests being busy at the end of the
year for preparations. December was a busy times for every priest.
651 Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Julian Fejzo

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Dīkṣānś Pāṭhak, knows Hindustani

Upvote · 21 Share
Answered Sep 6
22

I am from northern part of India and I speak Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu).

Our traditional calendar is called Bikramī Panchāṅg. Different calendars traditionally

used in different parts of the Indian subcontinent as a whole are called Hindu
Calendar. Our new year starts during the spring (basant) season.

We too have 12 months and the etymology of their names is fairly simple and clear.
They are all from Sanskrit. Basically, an evolved form of the Sanskrit names of the
months.

1. Čêt चैत from Sanskrit Čêtra चैत्र (March-April).

2. Bêsākh बैसाख from Sanskrit Vêśākha वैशाख (April-May).

 3. Jeṭh जेठ from Sanskrit Jyeṣṭha ज्येष्ठ (May-June).

4. Āsāṛh आसाढ़ from Sanskrit Āṣāḍha आषाढ (June-July).

5. Sāvan सावन from Sanskrit Śrāvaṇa श्रावण (July-August).

6. Bhādoñ भादों from Sanskrit Bhādra भाद्र (August-September).

7. Kvār क्वार or Kuñvār कुँवार from Sanskrit(?) (I'm not sure about its etymology
but it's definitely from Sanskrit. This month in Sanskrit is called Aśvina अिश्वन)
(September-October). Check @Ārtatrāṇa’s comment below.

8. Kātik काितक from Sanskrit Kārtika काितर् क (October-November).

9. Agahan अगहन from Sanskrit Agrahāyaṇa अग्रहायण (November-December).

10. Pūs पूस from Sanskrit Pôṣa पौष (December-January).

11. Māgh माघ from Sanskrit Māgha माघ (January-February).

12. Phāgun फागुन from Sanskrit Phālguna फाल्गुन (February-March).

The names are similar in other Indo-Aryan languages.

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Ārtatrāṇa Paṭnāik (ଆ"#$ାଣ ପ(ନାୟକ)

Kvār क्वार or Kuñvār कुँवार from Sanskrit(?) (I'm not sure about its etymology but it's definitel...

Sabeshan Iyer (சேபச$ ஐயr | सभेश शमार्), Have a natural interest in linguistics
Upvote · 27 Share
Answered Sep 6
28

I'm a native speaker of Tamil, which is the language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
It is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore.

The names of the months in Tamil are mostly derived from Sanskrit with some
exceptions (marked with an asterisk in the list below). While it is possible that native
Tamil names were used for all the months originally (as can be guessed from the couple
of pure Tamil month names in the calendar), over the last couple of thousand years the
Sanskrit names became more and more ingrained in common usage. This can be seen
from the fact that the names are heavily Tamilized, beyond just adding suffixes or slight
spelling modifications to suit Tamil grammar rules.

The list below is adapted from the Wikipedia page on the Tamil calendar (Tamil
calendar - Wikipedia )

Tamil month (Transliteration) — Sanskrit equivalent — Gregorian Calendar

equivalent

————

!t#ைர (Cittirai) — Chaitra — mid-April to mid-May

ைவகா! (Vaikāsi) — Vaisākha — mid-May to mid-June

ஆ** (Āni) — Jyaishtha — mid-June to mid-July

ஆ+ (Āḍi) — Āshāḍha — mid-July to mid-August

ஆவ, (Āvaṇi) — Shrāvaṇa — mid-August to mid-September

-ர.டா! (Puraṭṭāsi) — Bhādrapada/Prauṣṭhapada — mid-September to mid-October

ஐpப!* (Aippasi) — Ashwina/Ashvayuja — mid-October to mid-November

காrt#ைக (Kārttikai) — Kārttika — mid-November to mid-December

மாrக5 (Mārkazhi) — Mārgaṣīrṣa — mid-December to mid-January

ைத (Tai) — Pausha/Taiṣya — mid-January to mid-February

மா! (Māsi) — Māgha — mid-February to mid-March

பŋ8* (Paṅkuni) — Phalguna — mid-March to mid-April

Some of the month names are derived from archaic Sanskrit month names (such as
Puraṭṭāsi from Prauṣṭhapada and Tai from Taiṣya) which perhaps indicates that the
calendar was created (or modified from the Sanskrit calendar) before the current
Sanskrit names came into vogue. I couldn't find a lot of references to the old Sanskrit
names and the few results refer to inscriptions from 2nd to 3rd c. BCE. This probably
shows that Sanskrit influence in Tamil was already in place more than 2300 years ago.
831 Views · View Upvoters

Comment...
 Chris Hellmann, I speak Polish, Slovak, some Czech and learning Serbian
Upvote · 16 Share
Answered Sep 6
17

Not my native language, but German would be too easy (given that it uses the Roman
names). Slavic languages have a tendency to use their own names for all or most of the
months and so does Czech.

January - Leden
An easy name, as it’s clearly derived from led, meaning ice. Probably because this is the
month where ice is most commonly covering the ground.

February - Únor
This one was not immediately clear to me. Apparently it derives from the word nořit,
meaning to submerge. One could interpret it in a way that the ground slowly starts to
mix with water and mud in February.

March - Březen
Probably comes from bříza - birch - and would fit wiht the next month’s name, which
is…

April - Duben
Dub means oak, which is why I would go with bříza for the etymology of Březen.

May - Květen
This one is kind of funny for me, as the Polish month called “Kwiecień” is actually
April. Just slightly confusing. Anyway, both have the same etymology, coming from
květ - which is a blossom or simply flower. Easy to explain, since the flowers start
blooming again around May.

June - Červen
This one is kind of curious to me. It clearly stems from červený, meaning red. However,
what is red here? What could it refer to? Maybe it’s about all the red fruits that grow
during summer? Is it about the summer sun burning people’s skin and turning it red? I
have no idea.

July - Červenec
Same etymology as Červen.

August - Srpen
Srpen stems from srp, meaning sickle. Probably named like this because of the harvests
taking place in August. The Polish month August is called the same.

September -Září
Září looks like it stems from zářit - to glow, to shine - but that’s only coincidence. It
actually stems from řije meaning rutting. So it’s about the period when the forest
animals are in heat and prepared to mate. Why it’s ZAří then is beyond me, though (za
is usually used as a prefix to mean ‘after’.

October - Řijen
Same etymology as Září.

November - Listopad
Literally: “leaf-fall” (list meaning leaf and pad meaning (the) fall)

December - Prosinec
I’d say this one is most probably from siný, meaning blue with a greyish hue, which
would make sense due to the color of the sky in winter.

Interestingly, the closely related Slovak language uses the Roman names of the months,
which gives us:

Január
Február
Marec
Apríl
Máj
Jún
Júl
August
September
Október
November
December
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Piotr Szafranski
Czerwiec (Polish spelling) comes from a noun “czerw”, which is a generic name of an insect
larvae...

Katja Kaila, Loves languages and learning them by speaking

Upvote · 43 Share
Answered Sep 7
44

Finnish
Tammikuu — January — ‘Oak Month’

The Finnish word tammi nowadays means almost exclusively ‘oak’, but it used to mean
also ‘pole’, ‘axis’, or ‘middle wood’. It’s based on the Swedish word stam. That’s where
the name tammikuu comes from: January was considered the milestone that divided
the winter time loaded with hardships, the centre of winter.

Helmikuu — February — ‘Pearl Month’

In February the darkness begins to fade away, and the Sun shines more brightly,
occasionally melting the snow. Frost in turn freezes the water again, resulting in ice
pearls. That’s what apparently gave February its Finnish name.

Maaliskuu — March — ‘Earth Month’

In Finnish, ‘earth’ is maa. In March the snow starts to melt and you can find the first
snowless spots in sunny places. That’s why the month is called maaliskuu. There is an
old Finnish proverb about this: Maaliskuu maata näyttää, ‘March shows the ground’.

Huhtikuu — April — ‘Month of Burn-Beaten Land’

Burning down forest in order to make the soil more fertile used to be an important part
of Finnish agriculture. In April it was the habit to chop down the trees in the area that
was going to be burned later. The word describing this is huhta, and April still carries
its name.

Toukokuu — May — ‘Month of the Spring Sowing’

May is the month in which the fields are plowed and the grain is sowed. So, toukokuu.

Kesäkuu — June — ‘Fallow Month’

In modern Finnish, kesä means ‘summer’. However, the original meaning has to do
with kesanto, which means ‘fallow’. June was the month when the fields that had been
left lying fallow had to be plowed. It was called kesänajo.

Heinäkuu — July — ‘Hay Month’

July is the month when the hay is harvested; thus the name ‘Hay Month’.

Elokuu — August — ‘Life Month’

Elo is a beautiful word that means both ‘harvest’ and ‘life’. The connection is clear, I
think. August is the time when harvesting begins. The month has also had the name
mätäkuu (‘Rotting Month’) because wounds infect more easily when it’s warm. I’m glad
we ended up calling it ‘Life Month’ instead!
Syyskuu — September — ‘Autumn Month’

This one is pretty obvious; September is the time when autumn begins.

Lokakuu — October — ‘Mud Month’

It usually rains a lot in October (about 2/3 of the days), so roads tend to be muddy. Other
names of the month have been likakuu (‘Dirt Month’) and ruojakuu (‘Villain Month’). I
think it’s a pity; after all it’s also a very beautiful month with all the autumn colours.

Marraskuu — Novermber — ‘Death Month’

It’s the time of the year when maa on martaana, the earth is ‘dead’ under the frost. The
modern Finnish word for ‘death’ is kuolema, but the word marras is still used in the
context of nature. Etymologically it has the same origin as the Latin word mors.

Joulukuu — December — ‘Christmas Month’

In Finnish, Christmas is joulu, a word based on the Swedish word jul (which in turn is
based in the Old Norse word jól; Middle English has the equivalent yole, and in Old
English it’s ġeōl). Until 17th and even 18th century, however, the name of December was
talvikuu (‘Winter Month’) in Finnish, since that’s when winter begins. As the
importance of Christmas increased, the month was renamed accordingly.

Thanks for asking, Ali!

664 Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Ali Berat

Lizza Fatima (लीज़ा फ़ाितमा)

Wow! That was a beautiful read, pretty much explained life all year round in Finland!...

Ārtatrāṇa Paṭnāik (ଆ"#$ାଣ ପ(ନାୟକ)

Upvote · 14 Share
Answered Sep 6
15

I speak Odia, an eastern Indo-Aryan language. The Odia year starts either on the 14th or
15th of April every year, on the day that is locally known as Mahā Bisubha Sankrānti or
Paṇā Sankrānti. Odia calendar, being one of the numerous adaptations of the Hindu
calendar, is lunisolar with twelve months. The names of all the months are derived
from Sanskrit-

1. Baisākha େବୖଶାଖ from Sanskrit Vaiśākha वैशाख (April-May).

 2. Jyésṭha େଜ23 from Sanskrit Jyeṣṭha ज्येष्ठ (May-June).

3. Āsāṛha ଆଷା5 from Sanskrit Āṣāḍha आषाढ (June-July).

4. Srābaṇa 6ାବଣ from Sanskrit Śrāvaṇa श्रावण (July-August).

5. Bhādraba ଭା8ବ from Sanskrit Bhādrapada भाद्रपद (August-September).

6. Asvina ଅ:ୱିନ from Sanskrit Aśvina अिश्वन (September-October).

7. Kārtika କା#"ିକ from Sanskrit Kārtika काितर् क (October-November).

8. Mārgasira ମା#ଗଶିର (I've heard a few people call it Magusira ମଗୁଶିର as well) from
Sanskrit Mārgaśīrṣa मागर्शीषर् (November-December).

9. Pausa େପୗଷ (sometimes also called Pusa ପୁଷ) from Sanskrit Pauṣa पौष
(December-January).

10. Māgha ମାଘ from Sanskrit Māgha माघ (January-February).

11. Phaguṇa ଫଗୁଣ (or rarely Phālguna ଫାDୁନ) from Sanskrit Phālguna फाल्गुन
(February-March).

12. Chaitra େଚୖ$ from Sanskrit Chaitra चैत्र (March-April).

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Abbas Naderi, worked at Google

Upvote · 24 Share
Answered Sep 16
25

The Persian/Iranian calendar, also known as the Jalali Calendar , was the most
advanced calendar in the world in its advent around 1000 AC. It was developed by
Omar Khayyam , a great astrologist and mathematician of the Islamic Golden Age. It’s
called Jalali calendar in honor of the Seljuk king of that time, called Jalal al-Din. The
development of the calendar required 20 years of effort by the astrologists of that time
in their observatories.

It is the most accurate calendar ever devised by mankind (What makes the
Iranian calender the most accurate?).

Before getting to the month names, it’s important to note that the Iranian year starts on
vernal equinox , i.e., the first day of the year is the first day of Spring. Then there is 3
months of Spring, called Bahaar ‫ بهار‬in Farsi, 3 months of Summer, called Taabestaan
‫ تابستان‬in Farsi, 3 months of Fall called Paeez ‫ پاییز‬in Farsi, and 3 months of Winter
called Zemestaan ‫ زمستان‬in Farsi.

So for people used to this organized calendar, it usually takes a long time to get used to
other calendars such as lunar or Gregorian/Julian.

Here comes the names and their etymology:

1. Spring (Bahaar ‫)بهار‬

It means blossom, shine, and is a Middle Persian word.

a. Farvardin ‫فروردین‬

The first month of the year, it’s an Avestan word with no clear etymology.

b. Ordibehesht ‫اردیبهشت‬

From old Avestan “Asa Vahista”, which is the second characteristic of the
creator, in charge of sustaining the world.

c. Xordad ‫خرداد‬

From the Pahlavi Persian “Haurvtat” meaning health and perfection.

2. Summer (Taabestaan ‫)تابستان‬

Literally meaning “Patience Grabber” (Taab Setaan), it refers to the hot months
of the year!

a. Tir ‫تیر‬

From Middle Persian “Tistar”, the god of rain.

b. Mordad ‫مرداد‬

From Avestan “Amaratat” meaning immortal. The etymology is contested

because the word is only available in Elamite, not in Persian.

c. Shahrivar ‫شهریور‬

Pretty much means Utopia, i.e. the ideal country (Shahr + rivar)
 3. Fall (Paeez ‫)پاییز‬

Means the time of collecting (before Winter)

a. Mehr ‫مهر‬

Pretty much means Mitra .

b. Aabaan ‫آبان‬

Literally means “Many Waters”.

c. Aazar ‫آذر‬

From Middle Persian “Adar” meaning fire. Perhaps because you star to need
fire to survive!

4. Winter (Zemestaan ‫)زمستان‬

Literally means Winter. All etymologies of this word, back to Old Avestan
simply mean Winter!

a. Dey ‫دی‬

Means creation.

b. Bahman ‫بهمن‬

From Pahlavi “Vahuman” meaning deep thinking, this is the time for really
deep thinking with all the cold and ice.

c. Esfand ‫اسفند‬

Meaning “pure humility” in Avestan. Khayyam himself has written that this
month is called Esfand because in Pahlavi it means fruits, as in this months
blossoms start appearing.

Now to listen to pronunciation of each word, you can copy the Persian spelling into
Wiktionary and listen to the available audio.
795 Views · View Upvoters

Comment...
 Comment...

Chie Hamada (濱田 千絵), Particularly interested in Japanese etymology

Upvote · 20 Share
Answered Sep 15
21

What's the etymology of the names of the months in your native language?

Jasper Li has answered for China, and since modern Japanese names for the months
are identical with Chinese names, I will write about the etymology of the old names (旧
暦—kyureki).

According to 日本の「旧暦」 英語で説明してみよう!!  | 東京パスポート学院 T.P.A. 英会

話講師コラム ,

January: 睦月 (Mutsuki} —Month of harmony/affection

January is the time for family and friends to get

together to celebrate the new year.

February: 如月 (Kisaragi}—Month of wearing extra layers of clothes

February is very cold. So, people put on more

clothes to ward off the cold. Ki（衣）=clothes

Sara（更）=again Gi（着）=wear

March: 弥生 (Yayoi)—Month of new growth, the beginning of spring

April: 卯月 (Uzuki)—Month in which Deutzia(卯の花) blooms

Deutzia is a type of shrub with white flowers.

May: 皐月 (Satsuki)—Month of planting rice sprouts, alternatively called

Sanaetsuki (早苗月 "Early-rice-planting month")

June: 水無月 (Minazuki)—Month of no water

The month lacks water after the rainy season.

July: 文月 (Fumizuki)—Month of letters

Many Japanese write their wishes on strips of paper and tie them to bamboo branches
for Tanabata (Star festival).
 August: 葉月 (Hazuki)—Month of leaves

The month in which leaves start falling.

September: 長月 (Nagatuki)—Autumn long month

It came from “long nights”.

October: 神無月 (Kannazuki)—Month of no gods (Month of the gods only in

Izumo)

神=god, 無=absent. It is believed that all the gods

gather at Izumo shrine in this month. So, in Izumo,

the month is called 神有月Kamiarizuki

November: 霜月 (Shimotsuki)—Month of frost

December: 師走 (Shiwasu)—Month of busy priests

Priests are running around at this time of year.

360 Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Julian Fejzo

Comment...

Zartusht Ashavan, I believe in the message of Prophet Zarathushtra.

Upvote · 19 Share
Answered Sep 16
20

Q: What's the etymology of the names of the months in your native language?

I am a Zoroastrian (Mazdean). Since Zoroastrians started as an archaic Iranian

ethnoreligious community, we have our own specific calendar with months which do
not correspond to the Gregorian calendar months nor to any other calendary system (to
make it even more complicated, three different variants of the Zoroastrian calendar do
currently exist simultaneously). However, the modern Iranian Solar Hijri calendar of
the non-Zoroastrian Iranian majority was inspired in a few aspects by the Zoroastrian
calendar, so it has the same Persian names of the months as the Zoroastrian calendar,
although it is not identical to the Zoroastrian calendar in other aspects. All these
Persian names of the months are originally based on the Avestan terminology:

1. Farvardin - based on Fravashi - ghost, spirit

 2. Ordibehesht* - based on Asha Vahishta - the best order

3. Khordad - based on Haurvatat - intactness, healthiness

4. Tir - based on Tishtrya - stellar guardian (Mazdean angel)

5. Amordad** - based on Ameretat - undyingness, immortality

6. Shahrivar - based on Khshathra Vairya - desirable reign

7. Mehr - based on Mithra - bond

8. Aban - based on Apas - waters

9. Azar - based on Atar - fire

10. Dey - based on Dadvah - creator (i. e. God, Ahura Mazda)

11. Bahman - based on Vohu Manah - right thinking

12. Esfand*** - based on Spenta Armaiti - beneficial devotion

* The Old Persian equivalent of Avestan Asha was Arta.

** The name of this month is also commonly pronounced as Mordad among Iranians,
which, however, linguistically implies the opposite meaning, “dyingness”. Many
Zoroastrians therefore prefer Amordad.

*** Esfand is technically a standardized shortened version of the linguistically more

suitable “Esfandarmaz”.
Angel Tishtrya, stellar guardian (Picture from: Tishtrya )

Every Zoroastrian month has exactly 30 days, and each of these 30 days has also his
own name (unlike in the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar), because the traditional
Zoroastrian calendary system did not divide time into the 7-day periods. Since 12x30 is
360, the 12 Zoroastrian months do not correspond to the Solar year unless intercalary
days are added. The differences in the usage (or nonusage) of the intercalary days are
the reason for existence of the three different versions of the Zoroastrian calendar.
From these three versions only the calendar version “Fasli” correctly uses the
intercalary days to reflect the Solar year (and is therefore by far the most practical).
656 Views · View Upvoters

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Julian Fejzo, knows Albanian

Upvote · 25 Share
 25
26Sep 15
Answered

In Albanian almost all of the name of the months are similar to English, and all of them
are from Latin (except July), or just translations or adaptation from its Latin equivalent.

Shqip → English

Janar → January

Shkurt → February

Mars → March

Prill → April

Maj → May

Qershor → June

Korrik → July

Gusht → August

Shtator → September

Tetor → October

Nëntor → November

Dhjetor → December

January

The word for January (Janar) comes from Latin ianuarius , which was the month of
the Roman deity “Janus”.
In the past we used also “djegqerrës”, which is a union of “djeg" (burn) and “qerre”
(wagon), why we called it as “the month where wagons burns” is unknown, btw, both
“djeg” and “qerre” are properly Albanian and have Indo-European roots.

See:

djeg - Wiktionary
 qerre - Wiktionary

February
Shkurt means both “February” and “short”, is uncertain if it comes from Latin curtus or
Proto-Germanic *skurtaz, but both are from PIE *(s)ker- , “shkurt” is a cognate of
English “short”, Italian “corto”, Danish “skort” and French “court”.

We call February as “short” because is the shortest month of the year.

 March

In Albanian is mars and is another Latin borrowing, from Martius, the month of the god
of war Mārs, it's the same root of its English equivalent.
 April

Prill comes from Latin “Aprilis” and the Romans themselves borrowed it from Greek
through Etruscan[1], it was originally referred to the Greek goddess “Aphroditis”
(Aphrodite).
 May

Maj is another Latin borrowing, from “Maius", the month of “Māia", daughter of Atlas
and mother of Mercury.
 June

“Qershor” was “çershinar” In Old Albanian, and is a cognate of Romanian “cireşar”

(now obsolete and replaced by “iunie"), both comes from “qershi” and “cireaşă”
respectively, and are from Latin “cerasium”, all of them means “cherry”, and yes, the
English equivalent comes from the same Latin root, but it's not Latin either, but a Greek
borrowing and the Greeks themselves brought it from an Anatolian language (maybe
Luwian).

“Qershor” is practically the month of the cherries.

 July

Korrik seems to be the only Albanian month name that wasn't borrowed, it derives from
the Albanian verb “korr” (to harvest), it is a cognate of Lithuanian kasti (to dig), both
have PIE origin.
 August

“Gusht” comes from the Latin Augustus, the same root of the English “August”, that
month was initially called sextīlis , the emperor Augustus changed the name, and I
guess you can imagine why.
 September, October, November and December

The last four month aren't exactly borrowings but translations from Latin.

Shtatë → Septem (7)

Tetë → Octō (8)

Nëntë → Novem (9)

Dhjetë → Decem (10)

In the Roman calendar, the first month wasn't January (ianuarius) but March (martius),
so, that why September, October, November and December are called the 7th, the 8th,
the 9th and the 10th respectively, Albanians didn't just maintain the names like the
others, they also translated them.
Thanks again for the A2A Ali Berat!

Footnotes
[1] Aprilis - Wiktionary
675 Views · View Upvoters · View Sharers · Answer requested by Ali Berat

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Maciek Iwaniuk, lives in Poland

Upvote · 31 Share
Answered Sep 6
32

Polish language is one of those which do not use Roman nomenclature, with
exceptions. The months that are etymologically Slavic generally describe something
typical to that month.

January - Styczeń

The most common explanation is that it refers to the word “styk”, which can be
translated as a joint or connection. This way it would mean that this month connects
two years. The linguists, however, mention the word “tyczeń”, which refers to “tyka” - a
pieces of wood cut in winter so they can be used later.

February - Luty

This word used to be used as an adjective, also in other Slavic languages. It meant
“merciless, terrible, harsh”, which eventually was probably very often used in relation
to the weather and possibly that’s how the month got its name.
March - Marzec

This one comes from the Latin “Martius” and refers to Mars.

April - Kwiecień

It is derived from kwiat, which means “flower”, and kwitnąć - “blossom”.

May - Maj

And that’s another month that refers to the Roman mythology; is named after goddess
Maia.

June - Czerwiec

It is similar to the adjective “czerwony” or noun “czerwień” which means “red”. Both
terms are derived from the same little bug, here known as “czerwiec polski”. In English
it is “Polish cochineal”, which was used to produce the red dye. It was gathered by
people in June, hence the name.

July - Lipiec

Refers to “lipa”, which is “linden”. At this time the lindens were blossoming, and the
tree was sacred for the Slavic people.

August - Sierpień

It’s a month of harvest, to which sickles were used. A sickle in Polish is “sierp”, so the
month’s name refers to that tool.

September - Wrzesień

It is derived from “wrzos”, which means “heather”. Heathers are quite visible in late
summer.

October - Październik

It comes from the noun “paździerz”, which were parts of linen’s or hemp’s stem. People
were working with these plants in this month, and “paździerz” was often a result of
such work, therefore the connotation.

November - Listopad

It basically says “the leaves are falling”, or something similar. So that’s the month of
falling leaves.

December - Grudzień
In the last month the soil becomes harder, and in result some lumps are being formed.
A lump is “gruda” in Polish.

The month itself is called miesiąc. In the past this term was also used for the Moon
(currently “Księżyc”), so the name for a month is certainly derived from the Moon.
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Ata Göloğlu, interested in linguistics

Upvote · 73 Share
Answered Sep 6
74

My native language is Turkish. Our names of the months are an etymological mess,
which you will see now.

Ocak (January): From Turkish ocak, meaning oven or furnace. Literal

translation from the old name for the month, kanun, oven in Arabic. The word
ocak itself derives from ot (fire) + -CAk (place noun).

Şubat (February): From Arabic ‫( شباط‬shubat), the name for the month, which
is from te same root as Aramaic ‫( שבט‬shebat).

Mart (March): From Greek μάρτιος (martios), March. It's pretty obvious that
this word is borrowed, as it's similar to the name of the month in English and
other European languages.

Nisan (April): According to Nişanyan Etymological Dictionary, it's from

Arabic ‫( نيسان‬nīsān) [Aramaic: ‫]נסן‬, which is from Akkadian nisannu, meaning
"fresh crops."

Mayıs (May): Again, a Greek borrowing from μάιος (maios). First seen used in
1330 by Aşık Paşa.

Haziran (June): From Arabic ‫( حزيران‬ḥazīrān) with the same meaning.

Temmuz (July): From Arabic ‫تموز‬

ّ (tammūz) [Aramaic: ‫]תמוז‬, which is related to
Akkadian Tammūz, the name of a Babylonian god.

Ağustos (August): From Greek αύγουστος (augustos). This is a relatively new

borrowing, considering it was first seen used in 1521, nearly 200 years after the
first usage of Mayıs.
 Eylül (September): From Arabic ‫( أيلول‬aylūl) [Aramaic: ‫]אלול‬. Related to
Akkadian elūlu or elūnu, meaning harvest festival.

Ekim (October): From Turkish ekim (planting, sowing, culture), derived from
the Turkish verb ek- (to plant, to sow) + -İm (noun suffix). Other words from
this root include: ekmek (bread) and ekin (crop).

Kasım (November): From Arabic ‫( قاسم‬qāsim), from the triconsonantal root q-

s-m, to divide, distribute, separate. Other borrowings from this root in Arabic
are kısım (part) and taksim (partition) and surprisingly kısmet (destiny). The
meaning for the last one is from "the part [of something] that one is allowed to
get," something being the future.

Aralık (December): From Turkish aralık (interval, gap), derived from ara
(interim, break, the space between) + -lİk (-ness, noun maker). The meaning
developed from "the time between two festivals."
1.4k Views · View Upvoters

Irene Avet
I noticed that those names that match the Roman/Greek usage exactly matched the Armenian
word and...

Ahmed Upadhyay (अहमद उपाध्याय), Speaks Hindi-Urdu, English and Maithili

Upvote · 44 Share
Answered Sep 27
45

In my language Maithili, the names of the months are the Bihari variants of the
Sanskrit names of the months of the Vikram Samvat Calendar. Our traditional calendar
is known as the Tirhuta Panchang. The calendar is mostly used by the Bihari Hindu
community to determine religious festivals and observances, however, the Panchang is
used by Bihari non-Hindus to mark secular and cultural festivals.

1. Baishakh (बैसाख)— from Sanskrit Vaisakha (िवशाखा) or “Forked, Having

Branches”.

a. The year begins with Jude Sheetal (जुिड़ शीतल) or “The Maithili New Year” on
the first day of Baishakh and the beginning of Grishma (गरमी) or “Summer”.
The Purnima (पूिणर् मा) or “Full Moon” of Baishakh is the Lord Buddha’s
birthday known as Buddha Jayanti (बुद्ध जयन्ती).
 2. Jeth (जेठ)— from Sanskrit Jyeshtha (ज्येष्ठा) or “The Eldest, Most Excellent”.

3. Asharh (आषाढ़)— from Sanskrit Ashadha (आषाढ) or “The Invincible One”.

4. Saon (सावोन)— from Sanskrit Sravana (श्र◌ावण) or “Listening”.

a. Saon is the beginning of Barsaat (बरसात) or “Monsoon” when the plains of

Bihar face severe flooding. The fields of the Middle Ganga are planted with
rice— Bihar’s staple crop. Saon is also devoted to Lord Krishna.

5. Bhado (भादो)— from Sanskrit Bhadrapada (भाद्रपदा) or “Blessed Feet”.

6. Aasin (आिसन)— from Sanskrit Ashwini (अिश्विन) or “Light”.

a. Aasin is the beginning of Sharat (शरत) or “Autumn” and the beginning of

temperate weather. The Hindu festival of Navratri (नवराित्र) or “The Nine
Nights”.

7. Katik (काितक)— from Sanskrit Krittika (कृित्तका) or “The Cutters”.

a. Katik is the festive month— Diwali (िदवाली) or “Festival of Lights” and

Chhath (छठ) or “Festival of Sun Worship” are two of the most important
occasions for Bihari Hindus.

8. Agahan (अगहन)— from Sanskrit Agrahayana (अग्रहायण) or “First Equinox”.

a. Agahan is the beginning of Sheth (सीत) or “Winter”. Originally, Agahan was

known as Margashira (मागर्शीषर्) or “The Deers Head”, however, the name
changed to Agahan because of the astrological significance of the “First
Equinox” recorded 7000 years ago.

9. Poos (पूस)— from Sanskrit Pushya (पुष्य) or “The Nourisher”.

a. In Poos, Tila Sakrait (ितल संक्रांित) otherwise known as Makar Sankranti (मकर
सङ् क्रािन्त) or “Harvest Festival” is celebrated.

10. Magh (माघ)— from Sanskrit Magha (मघा) or “The Bountiful”.

a. Magh is the coldest month of the year. The festival celebrating Basant
Panchami (वसन्त पञ्चमी) or “The Fifth Day of Spring”.

11. Fagun (फागुन)— from Sanskrit Phalguni (फल्गुनी) or “The Reddish One”.

a. Fagun is the official beginning of Basant (बसन्त) or “Spring” and start of the
secular festive season.
12. Chait (चैित)— from Sanskrit Chitra (िचत्रा) or “The Bright One”.

The etymology for the names of the months in Bihari (Maithili) are essentially the same
as other languages varying from Kashmiri to Tamil, as all trace their roots to Sanskrit
names for the Nakshatras or “Lunar Mansions” found in the Vedanga Jyotisha.
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Rizwan Hussain (རིཟ་ཝན་ hu་སེན), B.S Civil Engineering, University of

Upvote · 26 Share
Engineering and Technology Peshawar (2020)
27
Answered Sep 6

Balti new year start on 21st of December , we call it LOSAR ( New Year ).

Historically Balti people used to name months after animals , that system is still valid
for name of years but not for months . The current names were devised in the 7th
century , when the Yarlung Dynasty was in rule . The names are based on four seasons,
and these are named in a proper pattern.

Sna spyid-lza (First month of spring)

Sna means “First” , spyid means “spring” and Lza means “month”.

Bar-spyid Lza (Middle month of spring)

Bar means “middle” .

Tha-spyid Lza ( Last month of spring)

Tha means “last”

Sna-zbyar Lza ( First month of summer)

Zbyar means summer

Bar-zbyar Lza ( middle month of summer)

Tha-zbyar Lza (Last month of summer)

Sna -ston Lza ( First month of autumn)

ston means Autumn

Bar-ston Lza (Middle month of autumn)

Tha-ston Lza (Last month of autumn)

Sna-rgun Lza (First month of winter)

Rgun means winter

Bar-rgun Lza (Middle month of winter)

Tha-rgun Lza (Last month of winter)

Now-a-days Islamic calendar is generally in use, with a bit of amendment in the names
such as

Muharram is generally called Matam-i-lza or Matam “ month of mourning” .

Rabbi ul Awal has been replacd by Pagambar-i-Lza “Month of prophet”.

In short we have four new year’s day.

1. LOSAR ( 21st of december)

2. Eid e Nowroz (21st of March ) “Totally assossiated with egg fight”.

3. Islamic New year (1st of Muharram)

4. Gregorian New year ( 1st of January)

737 Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Lizza Fatima (लीज़ा फ़ाितमा)

Afzal Baltizadeh
Once we also used chinese calendar by this is Khi lo (dog’s year).

1 more comment from Sāmapriẏa Basu

Tenzin Singyel, lives in Thimphu, Bhutan

Upvote · 25 Share
Answered Sep 6
26

Bhutanese calendar is an adaptation of Tibetan calendar (Lunisolar). So, probably, the

names of Bhutanese months were derived from the Tibetan months.

Like Tibetans, we also count the month by ordinal numbers (Hor "Mongolian" month).
Bhutanese calendar is made up of 12 months.

Tibetan months (hor-zla):

1st month - hor-zla dang-po

2nd month - hor-zla gnyis-pa

3rd month - hor-zla gsum-pa

4th month -hor-zla bzhi-pa

5th month - hor-zla lnga-pa

6th month - hor-zla drug-pa

7th month - hor-zla bdun-pa

8th month - hor-zla brgyad-p

9th month - hor-zla dgu-pa

10th month - hor-zla bcu-pa

11th month - hor-zla bcu-gcig-pa

12th month - hor-zla bcu-gnyis-pa

Similarly, Bhutanese months (Dhau):

1st month - Dhau dang-pa

2nd month - Dhau gnyi-pa

3rd month - Dhau gsum-pa

4th month - Dhau bzhi-pa

5th month - Dhau nga-pa

6th month - Dhau drug-pa

7th month - Dhau bdun-pa

8th month - Dhau brgyad-p

9th month - Dhau dgu-pa

10th month - Dhau bcu-pa

11th month - Dhau bcu-gcig-pa

12th month - Dhau bcu-gnyi-pa

I believe, Tibet derived their months from Mongolia and later, we derived ours from
Tibet.

Ali Berat, thank you for asking.

1k Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Ali Berat

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Waqar Shah/‫شاہ وقار‬/

Upvote · 44 Share
45
Updated Fri

Tsitter - ‫ژٕتھٕر‬

Vahekh - ‫وی کھ‬

Zeth - ‫زیٹھ‬

Haar - ‫ہار‬

Shravun - ‫ا ُون‬ٛ‫شر‬

ٕ
Bea'dre - ‫بٲدر‬

ِ
A'shid - ‫ٲشد‬

Kartikh -‫کار ِتک‬

Monjhor - ‫جحور‬ٛ‫مۅن‬

Poh - ‫پۅہ‬

Maag - ٕ‫ماگ‬

Phagun - ‫پھاگُن‬

These are names of months in Kashmiri lunar calendar. As many north Indians
would have guessed this calendar is based upon Hindu Calendar. And names have
cognates with many Indian calendars. This has religious significance for Pandits (
Kashmiri Hindus). Muslims especially older generation are also well versed in it. I
learned it from my Grandmother as she regularly keeps track of it.

Since overwhelming majority of Kashmiris are Muslims thus they use traditional
Islamic calendar. For most religious functions this calendar is used.

Kashmiri celebrate Navroz due to Iranian influence and since Navroz is new year in
Persian world therefore Kashmiris ( mostly older people) have knowledge of that
calendar.

However to balance it all out Kashmiris use modern Gregorian calendar which is what
we use now mostly even in traditional settings.
986 Views · View Upvoters

Ubaid Nazir
I had forgotten this calendar .Thank you for the answer....

1 more comment from Sahil Chatta

Jim Finnis, Tutor at Aberystwyth University (2011-present)

Upvote · 25 Share
Answered Sep 6
26

These answers are fascinating! Here’s my wife’s native language, which I’m learning -
Welsh. The first give are borrowed from Latin:

Ionawr (January): Borrowed from Latin (Janus’ month)

Chwefror (February): Borrowed from Latin (month of purification)

Mawrth (March): Borrowed from Latin (Mars’ month)

Ebrill (April): Borrowed from Latin (Aprilis, itself possibly from Etruscan)

Mai (May): Guess what.. borrowed from Latin (Maia’s month)

Gets more interesting now..

Mehefin (June): from proto-Celtic *medyo-samino (“middle of summer”)

Gorffennaf (July): literally Summer’s End. That’s … pretty accurate!

Awst (August): another one from Latin, Augustus’ month

Medi (September): literally “reaping” - it’s the harvest month

Hydref (October): literally “autumn”. Well, it’s the most autumnal month.

Tachwedd (November): literally “slaughtering”. That sounds grim, but it’s when
livestock were slaughtered for winter.

Rhagfyr (December): literally “foreshortening”, because the days were getting much
shorter very quickly.
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Comment...

Mihai Surdu
Upvote · 9 Share
Answered Sep 15
10

Julian Fejzo’s answer gave me the idea of sharing with you the old Romanian names of
the months (the modern names are practically the same as the English ones).

January (ianuarie): gerar < ger (Lat. gelu) = frost

February (februarie): făurar < faur (Lat: faber) = blacksmith

Mars (martie): mărțișor - difficult to explain, a name related to a Balkan tradition

about spring (Dochia or, sometimes, Martha)

April (aprilie): prier (Romanian inherited from Latin aprilis)

May (mai): florar < floare (Lat. flos, floris) = flower

June (iunie): cireșar < cireașă (Lat. ceresia) = cherry

July (iulie): cuptor (Lat. coctorium) = oven

August (august): gustar < gust (Lat. gustus) = taste (also corrupted from Lat. Augustus)

September (septembrie): răpciune (unknown origin, sometimes derived from Lat.

raptionem = harvest)

Octomber (octombrie): brumărel < brumă (as a diminutive) (Lat. bruma) = hoar-frost,
rime (diminutive)

November (noiembrie): brumar < brumă (but not diminutive; see October)
December (decembrie): undrea/andrea/indrea (unknown origin, sometimes related to
St. Andrew’s cross - St. Andrew is celebrated on the 30th of November) = knitting
needle

It is interesting to observe that the names of the months were related to the main
characteristics of each specific month.
154 Views · View Upvoters

Comment...

Uri Granta, fascinated by language change

Upvote · 27 Share
Updated Sep 22
28

The Hebrew calendar month names are all of Babylonian origin, adopted following
the Babylonian Exile. As a result, they are very similar to the names of the months in
the Assyrian calendar.

The list below starts with the first month of the ecclesiastical year, which begins in
spring, though confusingly the year number only changes during the seventh month,
which is the first month of the civil year (and the date of Rosh Hashannah).

1. Nisan — from Akkadian nisānu (‘sanctuary’?)

2. Iyar — from Akkadian āru (‘bull’?)

3. Sivan — from Akkadian simānu (‘fixed date, time’, cognate with ‫)זמן‬

4. Tammuz — from Akkadian Dumuzu (a Babylonian god)

5. Av — from Akkadian abu (‘father’)

6. Elul — from Akkadian ulūlu (‘harvest’)

7. Tishrei — from Akkadian tišritum (‘beginning’)

8. (Mar)cheshvan — from Akkadian waraḫsamnu (‘eighth month’, cognate with

‫)ירח שמונה‬

9. Kislev — from Akkadian kislimu (‘thickened’?)

10. Tevet — from Akkadian ṭebētu (‘sinking in’?, cognate with ‫)טבע‬

11. Shevat — from Akkadian šabātu (‘destroying (rain)’)

12. Adar — from Akkadian adaru (‘threshing floor’?, or perhaps ‘cloudy’?)

The only pre-Exilic calendar month names mentioned in the Bible are:

Aviv = Nisan — literally "spring"

Ziv = Iyar — literally "light"

Ethanim = Tishrei — literally "strong things", perhaps referring to rain

Bul = Marcheshvan — possibly “produce; fruit”

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Levi Lustman, studied at Tel Aviv University

Upvote · 3 Share
Answered Sep 10
4

Romanian standard month names are very similar to English. But there are also
“folkloric” names, rarely used, but quite pretty: the month of the flowers, the month of
the cherries, etc.

ENGLISH ROMANIAN Popular Romanian Names Comments

January Ianuarie

Gerar “ger” means “frost, severe cold”

Genarie, Ghenarie variations on Ianuarie

Călindariu calendar?

February Februarie

Făurar variation on Februarie; also means “smith”

Luna lupilor Wolves' month

March Martie

Mart a variation on Martie

Germănar “to sprout, germ”

Incolţitorul “sprouter” : “a încolţi”, the everyday word for “to sprout”

April Aprilie

Prier variation on Aprilie

May Mai

Florar from “floare”, meaning “flower”.

Frunzar from “frunză”, meaning “leaf”.

June Iunie

Cireşar both from “cireaşă” meaning “cherry”.

Cireşel

July Iulie

Cuptor means “oven”

August August

Gustar similar to August. “gust” also means “taste”, there are tasty fruits.

Secelar meaning?

September Septembrie

Răpciune meaning?

Viniţel from “vin”, meaning “wine”

October Octombrie

Brumărel

Both from “brumă”, meaning “rime, hoar frost”.

“Brumărel” is a diminutive, less rime in Oct. than in Nov.

November Noiembrie

Brumar

December Decembrie
Andrea, Undrea From Saint Andrew, one of the patron saints of Romania, whose feast is
in December.

Ningău From “ninge”, meaning “it snows”

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Comment...

Eamon O'Kelly, Interested in word origins

Upvote · 22 Share
Answered Sep 26
23

The names of five of the months in Irish are derived from the Latin names, and because
the etymology of these has already been discussed in several other answers, I will not
repeat it here. These are:

Eanáir — January

Feabhra — February

Márta — March

Aibreán — April

Iuíl — July

Six months preserve their old, pre-Christian names:

Bealtaine (May) — named for one of the four great annual festivals in the Druidic
calendar, Bealtaine means “bright fire.” Traditionally celebrated halfway between the
spring equinox and summer solstice (or May 1), it marked the time when cattle were
driven out to summer pastures. The celebration included the lighting of a purifying
bonfire, hence the name.

Meitheamh (June) — the name means “midsummer.”

Lughnasa (August) — named for another of the great Druidic festivals, held midway
between the summer solstice and autumnal equinox (or August 1), it marked the
beginning of the harvest. The name derives from the important god Lugh + nasad, an
Old Irish word for “assembly.”

Meán Fómhair (September) — simply, “the middle of the harvest.”

Deireadh Fómhair (October) — “the end of the harvest.”

Samhain (November) — named for another of the great Druidic festivals. Marking the
end of the harvest and beginning of winter, Samhain was held halfway between the
autumnal equinox and winter solstice. The etymology is a bit obscure: some hold it
means “end of summer” (which makes little sense), and others believe it derives from
an Insular Celtic word for “assembly.”

Finally, there is:

Nollaig (December) — the name derives from the Latin natalicia, “birthday,” referring
to Christmas, the birth of Christ. Cf. Noël.
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Comment...

Dimo Yagcioglu, works at National Kapodistrian University of Athens

Upvote · 3 Share
Answered Sep 15
4

In modern Greek, my native language, the names of all months are basically Latin in
origin. Many have derived from ordinal adjectives: e.g. Septemvrios (7th), Oktovrios
(8th), Noemvrios (9th), Dekemvrios (10th). By the way, okto & deka are of Greek origin,
and mean eight and ten, respectively. Some have derived from the name of gods: e.g,
Martios (Mars), Ianouarios (Janus). Some from the names of Roman political leaders or
emperors: Ioulios, Augustos. Februarios has been derived from Februa, the name of a
Roman purification festivity. Aprilios from the verb aprire, which means to open — the
month when most flowers bloom, ie. open. As for Maios and Iounios, their names
probably derive from the Latin words Maiores (majors, elders) and Iuniores (juniors).
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Comment...

G Zak, English teacher, learnt Russian and English

Upvote · 8 Share
Answered Sep 6
9

Russian, unlike other Slavic languages, uses Western names of Latin origin. Thus they
are the same as in English. Some are made from Roman numbers (сентябрь, октябрь,
ноябрь, декабрь) with a two-month shift in numeration when the New Year was moved
in old times in Europe. Others are made from names of Roman gods like Janus for
January and Mars for March. Or emperors like July from Julius Caesar and August from
Octavian August. I don't know when these were adopted in Russia, as Ukrainian,
Belarusian and Polish use different Slavic names connected to natural phenomena like
snowstorms or falling leaves or cutting winds.
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Comment...

Muhammad Yaqub Ahmad Bajaj, DHM (Deputy Headmaster)

Upvote · 6 Share
Answered Sep 15
7

The Punjabi language certainly inherited month names from Sanskrit and Prakrit

Vesakh ‫و ساکھ‬

Jaith ‫جیٹھ‬

Had ‫ہاڑ‬

Soun ‫س ُون‬

Bhadroun ‫بھادروں‬

Asou ‫اَسو‬

Ketay ‫کتے‬

Maghar ‫مگھر‬

Pouh ‫پ ُوہ‬

Magh ‫ماگھ‬

Phagan ‫پھگن‬

Chaitar ‫چیتر‬

In Punjabi language there is a genre of literature it's called Bara Mah, through this
genre the qualities of twelve months described.
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Comment...

Süer Eker, Turkology, languages and Turkic linguistics

Upvote · 10 Share
Answered Sep 15
11
An Ottoman multi-lingual calender

The etymology of the names of the months in “standard” Turkish is a mix of

Turkish, Arabic and Latin languages.

1. january-OCAK < Turkish

 2. february-ŞUBAT < Arabic

3. march-MART < Latin

4. april-NİSAN < Arabic

5. may-MAYIS < Latin

6. june-HAZİRAN < Arabic

7. july-TEMMUZ < Arabic

8. august-AĞUSTOS < Latin

9. september-EYLÜL < Arabic

10. october-EKİM < Turkish

11. november-KASIM < Arabic

12. december-ARALIK < Turkish

PS: Dialects of Turkish have their own “pure Turkish” names of month and week
days.
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Comment...

Ferenc Nagy
Upvote · 4 Share
Answered Sep 18
5

The natural Hungarian month names referring season and weather, like revolutionary
French, Czech and Polish have not survived the 19th century. The currently used
Hungarian month names are of Latin origin.

They have not lost the -os, -es, -is, -us suffixes just like the names of famous Greek and
Latin poets. These final -s letters pronounced as “s” in “sugar”.

Január, február, március, április, május, június, július, augusztus, szeptember, október,
november, december.

Homérosz, Arisztophanész, Vergilius, Ovidius, …

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 Comment...

Dēbdôtto Pāl | )*&*+ !$#, Bangali by birth, Bangali at heart

Upvote · 7 Share
Updated Sep 16
8

What is the etymology of the names of the months in your native language?

Bānglā. (‘Bengali’ for English-speakers.)

1. %&'$( — bōiśākh

2. %,-. — jōiṣṭhẏo

3. /0$1 — āṣāṛh

4. 2$&3 — śrābōṇ

5. 4$5 — bhādro

6. /678 — āśvin

7. 9$:;<9 — kārtik

8. =>?$"3 — ôgrohāẏoṇ

9. )!@0 — pōuṣ

10. A$B — māgh

11. C$D8 — phālgun

12. %EF — cōitro

The first day of the first month (!"#$ %&'$( — pôẏlā bōiśākh) falls on the 14th of April.
The length of the months vary from 29 to 32 days.
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Comment... Recommended All

Upvote · 4 Share
 Upvote · 4Li, M.A.
Jasper Share
from Southwest University (2012)
5
Answered Sep 11

Titles for months are so easy to memorize in Chinese.

Chinese number characters from 1 to 12 are 一，二，三，四，五，六，七，八，九，十，

十一，十二.

January - 一月 (Literally the first month)

February - 二月 (Literally the second month)

December - 十二 (Literally the twelfth month)

So you just need to put number before month（月） to show which month it is.

It is worth mentioning that 月 means moon as well in Chinese.

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Comment...

Anh Đỗ, I'm still a child at heart

Upvote · 3 Share
Answered Sep 10
4

The months in Vietnamese are ‘Tháng Một' (January), ‘Tháng hai' (February), so forth
until ‘Tháng Mười hai' (December).

(Just look up the numbers in Vietnamese up to 12, and you will get the idea.)

Yeah. The months are just ‘first month’, ‘second month’, and so forth until ‘twelfth
month’.
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