February
/ˈfɛbruəri/
noun
Origin
Latin
februa — purification rites
Overview
Meaning Now
- The second month of the Gregorian calendar.
Literal older meaning
Month of purification
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
Februarius
Earliest period
12th century
Journey
The month was named after the 'Februa', an ancient Roman festival of purification and expiation held on the 15th of the month. It was originally added to the Roman calendar by Numa Pompilius around 700 BCE.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
Februarius
“of the month of February”
Adjective derived from the festival of Februa.
- Old French
Fevrier
“February”
- Middle English
Februarie
“February”
Connections
Word parts
Februa
root
purification ritual
-arius
suffix
adjectival suffix denoting belonging
Related across languages
French
février
February
Spanish
febrero
February
Explore next
Related to February
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.