If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably stared at a calendar in early winter and wondered, “Why does January and February have ‘ary’ in them?”
It’s one of those little linguistic quirks that might seem random at first, but when you dig into history, you realize there’s actually a reason behind it.
So, let’s unravel the mystery!
The Latin Origins
Like many things in the English language, the answer lies in Latin.
Both January and February have roots in ancient Roman traditions. January comes from Janus, the Roman god of doors, transitions, and beginnings.
Since he represented the passage of time and new beginnings, it made sense for the Romans to name the first month after him.
The “-ary” part? That comes from the Latin suffix “-arius”, which was used to indicate something related to or connected with a particular thing.
So, “Januarius” essentially meant “pertaining to Janus.”
February, on the other hand, comes from Februa, an ancient Roman festival of purification.
This festival involved rituals to cleanse people and prepare them for the coming year.
The name “Februarius” followed the same pattern as January, with “-arius” meaning “connected to purification.”
The Evolution to English
Over time, as Latin evolved into Old French and eventually influenced English, the words “Januarius” and “Februarius” were shortened to the forms we use today: January and February.
The “-ary” ending remained intact because it was a common way to form adjectives and month names.
Why Not Other Months?
Now, you might be wondering: why only January and February? Well, the Romans named most of the other months after numbers (like September from “septem,” meaning seven) or gods (like March from Mars, the god of war).
The “-ary” ending just happened to stick with these two months because of their direct connections to Janus and the purification festival.
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Final Thoughts
So, the next time someone asks, “Why does January and February have ‘ary’ in them?” you’ll have a solid answer!
It’s all thanks to Latin, Roman gods, and ancient festivals. Language is full of little secrets, and discovering them makes our everyday words even more fascinating.
Got any other weird language questions? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to explore more linguistic mysteries with you.