September

Forms

September m (genitive Septembers or September, plural September)^[1] The earliest New High German also has the Italian-sounding form setember or settember, used regularly by the Augsburg chronicler Wilhelm Rem (1512–1527).^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle High German september, borrowed from Latin september, short for mēnsis (“month”) September, from septem (“seven”).^[3][4][5] The Romans called it so because it was the seventh month of their old calendar year, which began in March, and the name was kept after the reform of the calendar, when the year began in January.^[3][4][5] The Latin numeral is related to sieben, while the ending of the month name is of unclear origin.^[5][6] The same Latin name is used in Dutch september, English September, French septembre and Swedish september.^[3]

Kluge dates the borrowing to the 14th century, while Köbler records the Middle High German word in charters from 1261 onwards.^[3][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle High German september is recorded in charters from 1261 on, and Konrad of Megenberg explains it as der ander augst, “the second August”, der ze latein september haiʒt (“which is called September in Latin”).^[7][2] Before it, Old High German used native names: according to Einhard, Charlemagne called the month witumānōd “wood month”, from witu “firewood”, and herbistmānōd “autumn month” was also used.^[8][5] Köbler records herbistmānōd from about 830–840, Pfeifer from the 11th century.^[9][4]

Semantic evolution

The Latin name became the standard term, but Herbstmonat long remained the usual native name, and the Grimms list many regional names, such as Michelsmonat after Michaelmas, Saumonat, Haberaugst and Low German Hawersnit.^[2] Purists proposed Hartmond (Philipp von Zesen) and Obstmonat as German replacements.^[2] Weather lore attached to the month, as in the saying wenn der September noch donnern kann, so setzen die Bäume viel Blüten an (“if September can still thunder, the trees set many blossoms”).^[2] Kashubian zeptember and Modern Hebrew september were borrowed from German.^[1][10]

Timeline

• c. 830–840 – Old High German herbistmānōd “autumn month” is recorded.^[9]
• 1261 – Middle High German september appears in charters.^[7]
• 14th century – Kluge's date for the borrowing.^[3]
• 1512–1527 – Wilhelm Rem of Augsburg writes setember.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. September, the ninth month of the year; abbreviated Sept. or Sep.^[11][1]

Related words

• sieben
• Herbstmonat
• English September

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1961), Deutsches Wörterbuch, 16 vols. in 32, Leipzig: Hirzel; digital: Wörterbuchnetz, Trier Center for Digital Humanities, p. 16, 616
3. ^ a b c d e Kluge, Friedrich; Seebold, Elmar (2011), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, 25th ed., Berlin / Boston: De Gruyter, p. 844
4. ^ a b c Pfeifer, Wolfgang, et al. (1993), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 2nd ed., Berlin: Akademie-Verlag; digital revised version in the DWDS, dwds.de
5. ^ a b c d Duden. Das Herkunftswörterbuch: Etymologie der deutschen Sprache (2020), 6th ed., Duden vol. 7, Berlin: Dudenverlag, p. 777
6. ^ Wahrig-Burfeind, Renate, ed., Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch, Gütersloh / München: Wissen Media Verlag; online edition at wissen.de
7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
8. ^ Paul, Hermann (2002), Deutsches Wörterbuch: Bedeutungsgeschichte und Aufbau unseres Wortschatzes, 10th ed., ed. Helmut Henne, Heidrun Kämper and Georg Objartel, Tübingen: Niemeyer
9. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
10. ^ Lehnwortportal Deutsch (2012–), Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, Mannheim, lwp.ids-mannheim.de
11. ^ Duden. Das große Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden (1999), 3rd ed., Mannheim: Dudenverlag