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From: EURMXK@MVS.sas.com
Subject: Re: Germanic (was: Polish) month names
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Date: Fri, 21 Oct 1994 09:46:00 GMT
References: <1994Oct19.230604.1182@Princeton.EDU>
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In article <1994Oct19.230604.1182@Princeton.EDU>,
mikulska@faust.Princeton.EDU (Margaret Mikulska) writes:
 
>In article <3836am$jur@bambi.zdv.Uni-Mainz.DE> knappen@vkpmzd.kph.Uni-Mainz.DE writes:
>>
>>No there were germanic month names, and they are attested for old high german
>>and middle high german. However, the official scribes used the latinate ones
>>and their practice took over. I think, the Nazis tried to revive those old
>>names, but with no success. Unfortunately, I don't have a list of the old
>>german month names at hand, the only one I remember by hart is Hornung for
>>February.
>
>So that's where Hornung is from!  This one survived into the late 18th C
>in Austria (at least Vienna):  Mozart used it in 1784 in the catalog of
>his works, but for other months he used "modern", latinate names.
>
>Anybody know the other Germanic month names?
>
>-Margaret Mikulska
>mikulska@faust.princeton.edu
>
Einhard writes in his 'Vita Caroli Magni':
 
"Mensibus etiam iuxta propriam linguam vocabula inposuit, cum ante id
temporis apud Francos partim Latinis, partim barbaris nominibus
pronutiarentur.
... Et de mensibus quidem Ianuarius uuintarmanoth, Februarium hornung,
Martium lenzinmanoth, Aprilem ostarmanoth, Maium uuinnemanoth, Iunium
brachmanoth, Iulium heuuimanoth, Augustum aranmanoth, Septembrem
uuitumanoth, Octobrem uuindumemanoth, Novembrem herbistmanoth, decembrem
heilagmanoth appelavit".
 
Roughly: 
 
He (=Charlemagne) gave months Frankish names, so far the Franks had
called them with partly Latin, partly vernacular names.
... He called January ...
 
Old High German spelling is not always consistent, but rendering the
month names into modern German yields:
 
uuintarmanoth  = Wintermonat (January)
hornung        = Hornung (February)
lenzinmanoth   = Lenzmonat (March)
ostarmanoth    = Ostermonat (April) Ostern = Easter
uuinnemanoth   = Weidemonat (May) uuine (OHG pasture, meadow; popular
                 etymology made it to "Wonnemonat", Wonne = joy, bliss)
brachmanoth    = Brachmonat (Juni)  Brache = fallow ground
heuuimanoth    = Heumonat (Juli) Heu = hay
aranmanoth     = Erntemonat (August) Ernte = harvest
uuitumanoth    = Holzmonat (September) uuitu (OHG wood)
uuindumemanoth = Weinlesemonat (October) uuindume (OHG vintage, from
                 Latin vindemia)
herbistmanoth  = Herbstmonat (November) Herbst = autumn
heilagmanoth   = Heiligmonat (Dezember) heilig = holy
 
Reference books usually list the following "old German" month names:
 
Hartung
Hornung
Lenz, Lening, Lenzmond
Ostermond
Wonnemond
Brachet, Brachmond
Heuert, Heumond
Ernting, Erntemond
Scheiding, Herbstmond
Gilbhard, Weinmond
Nebelung, Nebelmond  (cf. brumaire!)
Julmond, Christmond
 
Interestingly enough, the Nazi party after having bought the
"Voelkischer Beobachter" from their 'voelkische' (national-rascist)
predecessors in February 1920 abolished "old German" month names
on page headings.
 
Regards, 
M. Kiefer
