Are the names of these months realistic?












1















I'm working on a calendar. To choose the name of the months I focused on Latin and in particular on a systematisation of the names finishing with 'ber'. I was wondering if my choices were correct and realistic.
For example, the name of the twelfth month is too long so if you think you know how it would have evolved in English, I'm interested.




  1. Premember

  2. Secember

  3. Tertiember

  4. Quatember

  5. Quintember

  6. Sextember

  7. September

  8. October

  9. November

  10. December

  11. Unodecember

  12. Duodecember










share|improve this question





























    1















    I'm working on a calendar. To choose the name of the months I focused on Latin and in particular on a systematisation of the names finishing with 'ber'. I was wondering if my choices were correct and realistic.
    For example, the name of the twelfth month is too long so if you think you know how it would have evolved in English, I'm interested.




    1. Premember

    2. Secember

    3. Tertiember

    4. Quatember

    5. Quintember

    6. Sextember

    7. September

    8. October

    9. November

    10. December

    11. Unodecember

    12. Duodecember










    share|improve this question



























      1












      1








      1








      I'm working on a calendar. To choose the name of the months I focused on Latin and in particular on a systematisation of the names finishing with 'ber'. I was wondering if my choices were correct and realistic.
      For example, the name of the twelfth month is too long so if you think you know how it would have evolved in English, I'm interested.




      1. Premember

      2. Secember

      3. Tertiember

      4. Quatember

      5. Quintember

      6. Sextember

      7. September

      8. October

      9. November

      10. December

      11. Unodecember

      12. Duodecember










      share|improve this question
















      I'm working on a calendar. To choose the name of the months I focused on Latin and in particular on a systematisation of the names finishing with 'ber'. I was wondering if my choices were correct and realistic.
      For example, the name of the twelfth month is too long so if you think you know how it would have evolved in English, I'm interested.




      1. Premember

      2. Secember

      3. Tertiember

      4. Quatember

      5. Quintember

      6. Sextember

      7. September

      8. October

      9. November

      10. December

      11. Unodecember

      12. Duodecember







      language-evolution time calendarium






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 1 hour ago









      Joonas Ilmavirta

      48.6k1170284




      48.6k1170284










      asked 1 hour ago









      BlincerBlincer

      1453




      1453






















          2 Answers
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          2














          In addition to the familiar September—December, there were two more numerically named months before they were renamed in early imperial era: Quintilis and Sextilis.
          These should definitely go to your slots 5 and 6.
          In English you could call these Quintile and Sextile.



          You seem to have slightly misanalyzed the ending.
          What you add to the end of a number is not -ember but -ber.
          This is an easy mistake to make, as three of the four month numbers (septem, octo, novem, decem) end in -em.
          The key observation is that we have October, not Octember.



          It appears that the numbers 7–10 get the ending -ber to the cardinal number, whereas 5–6 get the ending -ilis to the (stem of the) ordinal number.
          That is, Quin(c)tilis and Sextilis seem to be based on quintus and sextus, not quinque and sex.
          So, there are two attested ways to produce month names from numbers.



          To me it sounds more natural to use the ordinal one for the first months:




          1. primus > Primilis

          2. secundus/alter > Secundilis/Altrilis


          3. tertius > Tertilis (somehow Tertiilis sounds unnatural)

          4. quartus > Quartilis


          Tertilis and Quartilis (or Tertile and Quartile in English) sound quite natural to me, but the first two less so.
          However, they feel more understandable and Latin to me than the ones you proposed.



          I find no way around the somewhat clumsy Undecember and Duodecember.
          As Draconis points out in another answer, the Latin numbers 11 and 12 are undecim and duodecim, so maybe you could change the month names to Undecimber and Duodecimber.
          However, it would not be unreasonable to keep the -e- by analogy in the English versions.



          An option worth serious consideration is having the year start in March instead of January.
          This is what the Roman calendar did, and this is why the names are off by two.
          This would have the benefit of the months names aligning with the ones already in use.






          share|improve this answer


























          • Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

            – Blincer
            1 hour ago



















          2














          To supplement Joonas's wonderful answer, the words for "eleven" and "twelve" in Latin are undecim and duodecim, with an i. So I would suggest those months be changed to Undecimber and Duodecimber.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

            – Joonas Ilmavirta
            25 mins ago












          Your Answer








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          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

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          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

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          2














          In addition to the familiar September—December, there were two more numerically named months before they were renamed in early imperial era: Quintilis and Sextilis.
          These should definitely go to your slots 5 and 6.
          In English you could call these Quintile and Sextile.



          You seem to have slightly misanalyzed the ending.
          What you add to the end of a number is not -ember but -ber.
          This is an easy mistake to make, as three of the four month numbers (septem, octo, novem, decem) end in -em.
          The key observation is that we have October, not Octember.



          It appears that the numbers 7–10 get the ending -ber to the cardinal number, whereas 5–6 get the ending -ilis to the (stem of the) ordinal number.
          That is, Quin(c)tilis and Sextilis seem to be based on quintus and sextus, not quinque and sex.
          So, there are two attested ways to produce month names from numbers.



          To me it sounds more natural to use the ordinal one for the first months:




          1. primus > Primilis

          2. secundus/alter > Secundilis/Altrilis


          3. tertius > Tertilis (somehow Tertiilis sounds unnatural)

          4. quartus > Quartilis


          Tertilis and Quartilis (or Tertile and Quartile in English) sound quite natural to me, but the first two less so.
          However, they feel more understandable and Latin to me than the ones you proposed.



          I find no way around the somewhat clumsy Undecember and Duodecember.
          As Draconis points out in another answer, the Latin numbers 11 and 12 are undecim and duodecim, so maybe you could change the month names to Undecimber and Duodecimber.
          However, it would not be unreasonable to keep the -e- by analogy in the English versions.



          An option worth serious consideration is having the year start in March instead of January.
          This is what the Roman calendar did, and this is why the names are off by two.
          This would have the benefit of the months names aligning with the ones already in use.






          share|improve this answer


























          • Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

            – Blincer
            1 hour ago
















          2














          In addition to the familiar September—December, there were two more numerically named months before they were renamed in early imperial era: Quintilis and Sextilis.
          These should definitely go to your slots 5 and 6.
          In English you could call these Quintile and Sextile.



          You seem to have slightly misanalyzed the ending.
          What you add to the end of a number is not -ember but -ber.
          This is an easy mistake to make, as three of the four month numbers (septem, octo, novem, decem) end in -em.
          The key observation is that we have October, not Octember.



          It appears that the numbers 7–10 get the ending -ber to the cardinal number, whereas 5–6 get the ending -ilis to the (stem of the) ordinal number.
          That is, Quin(c)tilis and Sextilis seem to be based on quintus and sextus, not quinque and sex.
          So, there are two attested ways to produce month names from numbers.



          To me it sounds more natural to use the ordinal one for the first months:




          1. primus > Primilis

          2. secundus/alter > Secundilis/Altrilis


          3. tertius > Tertilis (somehow Tertiilis sounds unnatural)

          4. quartus > Quartilis


          Tertilis and Quartilis (or Tertile and Quartile in English) sound quite natural to me, but the first two less so.
          However, they feel more understandable and Latin to me than the ones you proposed.



          I find no way around the somewhat clumsy Undecember and Duodecember.
          As Draconis points out in another answer, the Latin numbers 11 and 12 are undecim and duodecim, so maybe you could change the month names to Undecimber and Duodecimber.
          However, it would not be unreasonable to keep the -e- by analogy in the English versions.



          An option worth serious consideration is having the year start in March instead of January.
          This is what the Roman calendar did, and this is why the names are off by two.
          This would have the benefit of the months names aligning with the ones already in use.






          share|improve this answer


























          • Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

            – Blincer
            1 hour ago














          2












          2








          2







          In addition to the familiar September—December, there were two more numerically named months before they were renamed in early imperial era: Quintilis and Sextilis.
          These should definitely go to your slots 5 and 6.
          In English you could call these Quintile and Sextile.



          You seem to have slightly misanalyzed the ending.
          What you add to the end of a number is not -ember but -ber.
          This is an easy mistake to make, as three of the four month numbers (septem, octo, novem, decem) end in -em.
          The key observation is that we have October, not Octember.



          It appears that the numbers 7–10 get the ending -ber to the cardinal number, whereas 5–6 get the ending -ilis to the (stem of the) ordinal number.
          That is, Quin(c)tilis and Sextilis seem to be based on quintus and sextus, not quinque and sex.
          So, there are two attested ways to produce month names from numbers.



          To me it sounds more natural to use the ordinal one for the first months:




          1. primus > Primilis

          2. secundus/alter > Secundilis/Altrilis


          3. tertius > Tertilis (somehow Tertiilis sounds unnatural)

          4. quartus > Quartilis


          Tertilis and Quartilis (or Tertile and Quartile in English) sound quite natural to me, but the first two less so.
          However, they feel more understandable and Latin to me than the ones you proposed.



          I find no way around the somewhat clumsy Undecember and Duodecember.
          As Draconis points out in another answer, the Latin numbers 11 and 12 are undecim and duodecim, so maybe you could change the month names to Undecimber and Duodecimber.
          However, it would not be unreasonable to keep the -e- by analogy in the English versions.



          An option worth serious consideration is having the year start in March instead of January.
          This is what the Roman calendar did, and this is why the names are off by two.
          This would have the benefit of the months names aligning with the ones already in use.






          share|improve this answer















          In addition to the familiar September—December, there were two more numerically named months before they were renamed in early imperial era: Quintilis and Sextilis.
          These should definitely go to your slots 5 and 6.
          In English you could call these Quintile and Sextile.



          You seem to have slightly misanalyzed the ending.
          What you add to the end of a number is not -ember but -ber.
          This is an easy mistake to make, as three of the four month numbers (septem, octo, novem, decem) end in -em.
          The key observation is that we have October, not Octember.



          It appears that the numbers 7–10 get the ending -ber to the cardinal number, whereas 5–6 get the ending -ilis to the (stem of the) ordinal number.
          That is, Quin(c)tilis and Sextilis seem to be based on quintus and sextus, not quinque and sex.
          So, there are two attested ways to produce month names from numbers.



          To me it sounds more natural to use the ordinal one for the first months:




          1. primus > Primilis

          2. secundus/alter > Secundilis/Altrilis


          3. tertius > Tertilis (somehow Tertiilis sounds unnatural)

          4. quartus > Quartilis


          Tertilis and Quartilis (or Tertile and Quartile in English) sound quite natural to me, but the first two less so.
          However, they feel more understandable and Latin to me than the ones you proposed.



          I find no way around the somewhat clumsy Undecember and Duodecember.
          As Draconis points out in another answer, the Latin numbers 11 and 12 are undecim and duodecim, so maybe you could change the month names to Undecimber and Duodecimber.
          However, it would not be unreasonable to keep the -e- by analogy in the English versions.



          An option worth serious consideration is having the year start in March instead of January.
          This is what the Roman calendar did, and this is why the names are off by two.
          This would have the benefit of the months names aligning with the ones already in use.







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 28 mins ago

























          answered 1 hour ago









          Joonas IlmavirtaJoonas Ilmavirta

          48.6k1170284




          48.6k1170284













          • Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

            – Blincer
            1 hour ago



















          • Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

            – Blincer
            1 hour ago

















          Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

          – Blincer
          1 hour ago





          Thank you for you answer. It is all I needed :)

          – Blincer
          1 hour ago











          2














          To supplement Joonas's wonderful answer, the words for "eleven" and "twelve" in Latin are undecim and duodecim, with an i. So I would suggest those months be changed to Undecimber and Duodecimber.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

            – Joonas Ilmavirta
            25 mins ago
















          2














          To supplement Joonas's wonderful answer, the words for "eleven" and "twelve" in Latin are undecim and duodecim, with an i. So I would suggest those months be changed to Undecimber and Duodecimber.






          share|improve this answer
























          • Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

            – Joonas Ilmavirta
            25 mins ago














          2












          2








          2







          To supplement Joonas's wonderful answer, the words for "eleven" and "twelve" in Latin are undecim and duodecim, with an i. So I would suggest those months be changed to Undecimber and Duodecimber.






          share|improve this answer













          To supplement Joonas's wonderful answer, the words for "eleven" and "twelve" in Latin are undecim and duodecim, with an i. So I would suggest those months be changed to Undecimber and Duodecimber.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 31 mins ago









          DraconisDraconis

          17.9k22474




          17.9k22474













          • Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

            – Joonas Ilmavirta
            25 mins ago



















          • Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

            – Joonas Ilmavirta
            25 mins ago

















          Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

          – Joonas Ilmavirta
          25 mins ago





          Good point! I upgraded my answer a bit. I would find it reasonable to keep the e in the English versions by analogy. I don't really know whether the -ber would have an effect on the vowel in Latin.

          – Joonas Ilmavirta
          25 mins ago


















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