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Februarius

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: februarius

English

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Etymology

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From Latin Februārius.

Proper noun

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Februarius

  1. (historical) The shortest month of the Ancient Roman calendar, from which the Julian and Gregorian month of February derived.

Latin

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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    From Februa +‎ -ārius. From februum (“means of purification, an offering”), via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    Februārius (feminine Februāria, neuter Februārium); first/second-declension adjective

    1. of February

    Usage notes

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    In Classical Latin, month names were regularly used as adjectives, generally modifying a case-form of mēnsis m sg (“month”) or of one of the nouns used in the Roman calendar to refer to specific days of the month from which other days were counted: Calendae f pl (“calends”), Nōnae f pl (“nones”), Īdūs f pl (“ides”). However, the masculine noun mēnsis could be omitted by ellipsis, so the masculine singular forms of month names eventually came to be used as proper nouns.[1]

    The accusative plural adjective forms Aprīlīs, Septembrīs, Octōbrīs, Novembrīs, Decembrīs[2] are ambiguous in writing, being spelled identically to the genitive singular forms of the nouns; nevertheless, the use of ablative singular forms in -ī and comparison with the usage of other month names as adjectives supports the interpretation of -is as an accusative plural adjective ending in Classical Latin phrases such as "kalendas Septembris".[3]

    Declension

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    First/second-declension adjective.

    singular plural
    masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
    nominative Februārius Februāria Februārium Februāriī Februāriae Februāria
    genitive Februāriī Februāriae Februāriī Februāriōrum Februāriārum Februāriōrum
    dative Februāriō Februāriae Februāriō Februāriīs
    accusative Februārium Februāriam Februārium Februāriōs Februāriās Februāria
    ablative Februāriō Februāriā Februāriō Februāriīs
    vocative Februārie Februāria Februārium Februāriī Februāriae Februāria

    Proper noun

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    Februārius m sg (genitive Februāriī or Februārī); second declension

    1. February (short for mēnsis Februārius)

    Declension

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    Second-declension noun, singular only.

    singular
    nominative Februārius
    genitive Februāriī
    Februārī1
    dative Februāriō
    accusative Februārium
    ablative Februāriō
    vocative Februārī

    1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

    Descendants

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    • Late Latin: Febrārius (see there for further descendants)
    Borrowings

    See also

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    References

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    1. ^ Karl Gottlob Zumpt (1853) Leonhard Schmitz, Charles Anthon, transl., A Grammar of the Latin Language, 3rd edition, pages 31, 85
    2. ^ Gaeng, Paul A. (1968) An Inquiry into Local Variations in Vulgar Latin: As Reflected in the Vocalism of Christian Inscriptions, page 183
    3. ^ Frost, P. (1861) The Germania and Agricola of Tacitus, page 161

    Further reading

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    • “Fĕbrŭārĭus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • “Februārius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • fĕbrŭārĭus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette: “657/3”
    • “Februārius” on page 683/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
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