French months

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>> multilingual resources >> Translations: Months >> Translations: Latin months

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French (Français)

Language Family:
Indo-European, Romance branch

Official language:
Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (both countries), Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Switzerland, Togo, Vanuatu as well as parts of Italy

Pattern:
Latin

Months of the year:

  1. translations: January: janvier = Ianus, Roman god
  2. translations: February: février = Roman purification feast
  3. translations: March: mars = Mars, Roman god
  4. translations: April: avril = opening, Latin
  5. translations: May: mai = Maia, Roman goddess
  6. translations: June: juin = Iuno, Roman goddess
  7. translations: July: juillet = Iulius Caesar, Roman emperor
  8. translations: August: août = Augustus, Roman emperor
  9. translations: September: septembre = 7th month, Latin
  10. translations: October: octobre = 8th month, Latin
  11. translations: November: novembre = 9th month, Latin
  12. translations: December: décembre = 10th month, Latin

Months of the Republican calendar:

Just as well as it introduced the metric system, the French revolution attempted to reform the way people measure time and devised a calendar starting from 1792 (abolition of monarchy), redesigned from bottom up. One of the reasons why that part of the reform failed, as opposed to the metric system, is that the Republican system (purposedly) collided with religion. It abolished weeks and replaced them with a more "rational" system of décades (10 days), marginalizing Sunday and breaking the rhythm of liturgy, but also fairs and markets, and workdays vs. weekly rest. The Republican calendar was official 24/11/1793 to 22 fructidor year XIII (09/09/1805). It was meant to be universal and proposed to all humankind for adoption along with revolutionary values in spite of its basing on climate and agricultural circumstances particular to Europe.

Names for the months were created by poet Fabre d'Églantine. They follow a consistent system of one ending per season (ex. -aire for autumn, -ôse for winter) and are widely considered to sound well. Note: Months of the French Republican calendar do not coincide with those of the standard Western calendar. A particular month does not even always start on the same day of the Western calendar: dates below are an indication.

  • Autumn:
    • Vendémiaire (from Latin vindemia "vintage") Starting September 22, 23 or 24
    • Brumaire (from French brume, "mist") Starting October 22, 23 or 24
    • Frimaire (From French frimas, "frost") Starting November 21, 22 or 23
  • Winter:
    • Nivôse (from Latin Nivosus, "snowy") Starting December 21, 22 or 23
    • Pluviôse (from Latin pluviosus, "rainy") Starting January 20, 21 or 22
    • Ventôse (from Latin ventosus, "windy") Starting February 19, 20 or 21
  • Spring:
    • Germinal (from Latin germen, "seed") Starting March 20 or 21
    • Floréal (from Latin flor, "flower") Starting April 20] or 21
    • Prairial (from French prairie, "meadow") Starting May 20 or 21
  • Summer:
    • Messidor (from Latin messis, "harvest") Starting June 19 or 20
    • Thermidor (from Greek thermos, "hot") Starting July 19 or 20
    • Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruits") Starting August 18 or 19

source : French Republican Calendar on Wikipedia


>> multilingual resources >> Translations: Months >> Translations: Latin months
see also French days

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