Martius

Forms

Mārtius (feminine Mārtia, neuter Mārtium); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin Mārs + -ius; as a noun meaning March it is short for the phrase with mēnsis (“month”).^[1] De Vaan lists it among the derivatives of the god's name, which developed within Latin from older ⟨māmart-⟩, attested on the Lapis Satricanus, through ⟨Māvort-⟩ to ⟨Mārt-⟩;^[2] Umbrian has an adjective of the same kind, Umbrian marties (“of Mars”).^[2]

The month name is the source of English March, through Anglo-French and Old French marz, and of Spanish marzo, Portuguese março, Italian marzo, German März and Dutch Maart.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan's first records are an inscription, CIL 1.1513, which speaks of money from the spoils of war (aere Martio), and Varro.^[2][4] The OLD's earliest quotation for the month is from the comic poet Atta, who says that March was meant to be the first month: uoluerunt esse primum mensem Martium.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant belonging to or sacred to Mars: the woodpecker was picus Martius, the wolf Martius lupus, and the Campus Martius was the plain of Mars outside Rome where the assemblies met.^[4][5] A legion was named the legio Martia.^[4] With mensis or alone it was March, originally the first month of the year, and as an adjective “of March”, as in the calends, nones and ides of March.^[4][5] Poets used it for “Roman”, since Mars was the ancestor of the Romans,^[4][5] and it also meant warlike, martial, and belonging to the planet Mars.^[4]

In medieval Latin the noun Martius is March,^[6][7] and in British sources the adjective is still used of war and of the woodpecker.^[8]

Timeline

• early 1st century BC – Atta says March was meant to be the first month.^[4][6]
• 116–27 BC – Varro writes of horses racing in the Campus Martius at the games.^[4][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero names the legio Martia and the planet Mars.^[4][6]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil writes tela inter Martia, “among the weapons of war”.^[4][6]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses Martius miles for a Roman soldier.^[4][6]
• 830–840? – A gloss renders the month with Old Saxon lentinmanuth.^[6]
• c. 1200 – English March appears.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to Mars; sacred to Mars: picus Martius, the woodpecker.^[4][5]
2. campus Martius, the plain of Mars outside Rome.^[4]
3. legio Martia, the name of a Roman legion.^[4]
4. Of March: Kalendae Martiae, the calends of March.^[4][5]
5. (poetic) Roman.^[4][5]
6. Warlike, martial.^[4][8]
7. Of the planet Mars.^[4]

Noun

1. (also mensis Martius) March, the third (originally the first) month of the year.^[4][7][6]

Related words

• Mārtiālis
• Mārtīnus
• English March

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press