The months have Latin names — Classical languages, 4–6 years
The calendar on a wall carries pieces of old Latin. We can meet these names by finding a month, saying it aloud and noticing its Roman story.
Month names can be old Latin words
Many month names used today came through Latin. Ianuarius became January, Martius became March, and October kept a name linked to the number eight. A calendar is therefore a small place where an ancient language meets our everyday lives.
Why name parts of the year?
People need to know when to plant, celebrate, travel or meet again. Naming the repeating parts of the year makes plans easier to share. Roman calendars changed over time, but their month names travelled widely and stayed visible in calendars long after Roman life had changed.
Find March
Start at January and count along: January, February, March. On a Roman-style list, you may see Ianuarius, Februarius, Martius. Martius is the third month in this list, and its name is linked to Mars, a Roman god.
The number in a name may no longer fit
A child may notice that October sounds like eight and expect it to be the eighth month. That is a reasonable guess from the word’s history. In the calendar now used, January and February come before it, so October is the tenth month.
Old names help us read calendars
You can spot Latin history when you read a birthday card, a diary or a calendar. Month names also appear in dates on letters, tickets and screens around you. Knowing a little about their past does not change the date; it gives an extra clue about where the word came from.
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