Learning the origin of the names of months in Portuguese is very interesting because it leads us on a journey into language, mathematics, astrology and history.
The months, as we know them today, were first named during the Roman Empire. The first Roman calendar was created in VII A.C. and accounted for only 304 days. It divided the year into ten months, but it then began with March and ended in December. By 46 A.C. the calendar year was corrected to 365 and so the number of months was increased to twelve.
The first six months are thus named after gods and the remaining six represent numerals.
Janeiro é uma homenagem ao deus Janus, January is a homage to the god Janus. This god has two faces, one that looks back into the past and the other that looks ahead into the future.
Fevereiro comemora Februália, o festival para purificação, February celebrates Februalia, a festival for purification.
Março empresta o nome de Marte, deus da Guerra, March borrows its name from Mars, the god of wars.
Abril é uma homenagem a Afrodite, deusa do amor, April is in homage to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Some also argue that April comes from the Latin aperire, which means to open, like blossoms in spring.
Maio celebra a deusa Maia, que faz as plantas crescerem, May celebrates Maia, the goddess that makes plants grow.
Junho é para a deusa do casamento, Juno, June is for the goddess of weddings, Juno.
Julho homenageia o imperador Júlio Cesar, July pays homage to the Emperor Julius Cesar. Originally it was known as Quintilis, meaning the fifth.
Agosto homenageia César Augusto, August pays homage to Augustus Caesar. It used to be sextilis, or the sixth.
Setembro, do latim septem, significa sete, September, from the Latin septem, means seven.
Outubro significa oito, ou octo em latim, October means eight, or octo in Latin.
Novembro vem do latim novem, nove, November comes from the Latin novem, or nine.
Dezembro, que era o último mês, significa dez, em Latim, decem, December, which used to be the last month, means ten in Latin.
Click the link to listen and repeat the months in Portuguese.
For more on months, days of the week and dates go to Lesson 9 on the Essential Brazilian Portuguese.
