In a word

Welcome to August. An august month. You will notice that August can be both noun and an adjective. They have a common parentage.

August, the eighth month of the year, had been the sixth month of the old 10-month Roman calendar. Previously named Sextilis, it assumed its current name in 8 BC to honour Ceasar Augustus. In the context "Ceasar Augustus" means Ceasar the Venerable/ Majestic/ Noble and it is from this latter adjective that the word "august", so used, is derived.

The month has an interesting history. The original Roman calendar was, by tradition, said to date back to 753 BC and attributed to Romulus, a founder of Rome alongside his brother Remus. Myth, glorious myth.

Its 10 months began with Martius (31 days) named after Mars, god of war, followed by Aprilis (30 days) named after the goddess Fortuna Virilis, said to have the power to hide the imperfections of women from men. The name is also said to derive from that of Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, whose Roman equivalent was Venus.

The next month Maius (31 days) was said to have been named after the Greek goddess Maia, though the Roman poet Ovid claimed May was named for the maiores, Latin for "elders", and that the following month (June) was named for the iuniores, or "young people". Still more say that Iunius was named after the Roman goddess Juno whose own name is said to also derive from a root meaning "young". Hence "junior".

The remaining Roman months explain themselves. Quintilis (31 days), fifth month; Sextilis (30 days) sixth month; September (30 days) seventh month; October (31 days) eighth month; November (30 days) ninth month; and December (30 days) tenth month. You will have noticed that those 10 months add up to 304 days. Those following December up to the following March were not assigned a month until around 719 BC when January and February were added and placed at the beginning of the new year.

January was named after Janus, god of beginnings and change; also said to derive from the Latin word for door, ianua, January being door to the year. February is from the Latin februum, meaning purification,

The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC when Quintilis was renamed Iulius (July) in 44 BC to honour Julius Caesar, and Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) in 8 BC to honour Ceasar Augustus. inaword@irishtimes.com