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From: mcv@inter.NL.net (Miguel Carrasquer)
Subject: Re: Germanic (was: Polish) month names
Message-ID: <Cy16M2.7ss@inter.NL.net>
Organization: NLnet
References: <1994Oct19.230604.1182@Princeton.EDU> <19941021044650EURMXK@MVS.sas.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 1994 16:18:01 GMT
Lines: 60

In article <19941021044650EURMXK@MVS.sas.com>,  <EURMXK@MVS.sas.com> wrote:
>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
> 

There's a set of Dutch month names, that nobody uses, but that
are listed in the dictionary:

jan = louwmaand	(not sure about the meaning: louw/luw=windstill, temperate ?)
feb = sprokkelmaand (sprokkelen = to collect dry wood)
mar = lentemaand (spring month)
apr = grasmaand (grass month)
may = bloeimaand (bloom month)
jun = zomermaand (sommer month)
jul = hooimaand (hay month)
aug = oogstmaand (harvest month: "oogst" itself is derived from August)
sep = herfstmaand (fall/autumn month)
oct = wijnmaand (wine month: vine doesn't grow in Holland)
nov = slachtmaand (slaughter month)
dec = wintermaand (winter month)

I don't know what the origin of these names is, but I guess they're
not really old, and that they're just nicknames for the months,
sort of like the slogan the Dutch butchers came up with: "Woensdag
gehaktdag" ("Wednesday is minced meat day").

-- 
Miguel Carrasquer         ____________________  ~~~
Amsterdam                [                  ||]~  
mcv@inter.NL.net         ce .sig n'est pas une .cig 
