Januar German · revision 35061

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=18th century (Latin form from the 16th century)}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈjanuaːr/, [ˈja.nuˌaː(ɐ̯)], [-ˌaːʁ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Januar''' ''m'' (genitive Januars or Januar, plural Januare)^(Wiktionary)

+ Until the 18th century the month was usually called by its Latin name ''Januarius'', inflected with Latin endings (''im Januario'').^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|10, 2264)^(EWA|5, 284) The endingless ''Januar'' spread in the second half of the 18th century;^(DWB|10, 2264)^(Pfeifer 1993) Lessing uses it from 1753.^(DWB|10, 2264)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned borrowing, [[bor|la|Iānuārius|t=of Janus]], short for [[m|la|mēnsis Iānuārius|t=the month of Janus]].^(Kluge 2011|454)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) The Latin name is usually connected with that of the old Italic god [[m|la|Iānus]], god of doors, of going in and out, and so of beginnings,^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|401)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) but Kluge points out that neither the connection nor the reason for the name is certain.^(Kluge 2011|454) Pfeifer and the Duden take the god's name as a personification of [[m|la|iānus|t=passage, archway]], compare [[m|la|iānua|t=house door]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|401) The year began with this month only after the Roman calendar was reformed; earlier it had begun in March.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|401)

+

+ An older borrowing of the same month name is [[Jänner]], [[gmh|jenner]], [[goh|jenner]], taken from the variant [[la-vul|Iēnuārius]].^(Kluge 2011|454)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(EWA|5, 284) The same learned word is [[nl|januari]], [[en|January]], [[fr|janvier]] and [[sv|januari]].^(Kluge 2011|454)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The older form is recorded first: Old High German ''jenner'' is found only in a damaged gloss of the 12th century, translating Latin ''ianuarius''.^(EWA|5, 284)^(AWB|4, 1810) The Latin ''Ianuarius'' itself was in German use from the humanist period.^(EWA|5, 284)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Jänner'' (Middle High German ''jener'', ''jenner'') was long current all over Upper German and was also found in Central and Low German.^(EWA|5, 284) From the 17th and 18th centuries the newly borrowed ''Januar'', promoted by scholars, pushed it back into the southern dialects; it remains standard in Austria.^(EWA|5, 284)^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) Büchner's ''Lenz'' still uses ''Jänner'' in its first sentence.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ Before the Roman names were adopted, Adelung records, the month was called ''Wintarmanoth'' “winter month”, a name ascribed to Charlemagne by Rabanus Maurus and Einhard.^(Adelung 1793) The god's name has given German ''janusköpfig'' “two-faced, ambiguous” and, in the late 20th century, ''Januswort'' for a word with opposite senses.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – Old High German ''jenner'' appears in a gloss.^(EWA|5, 284)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – Humanists use the Latin ''Januarius'' with Latin endings.^(EWA|5, 284)

+ * 1753 – Lessing uses the endingless ''Januar''.^(DWB|10, 2264)

+ * Second half of the 18th century – ''Januar'' becomes the general form and ''Jänner'' retreats to the south.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|401)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|January]], the first [[m|en|month]] of the year: ''Im Januar fahren wir in die Berge.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Jänner]]

+ * [[en|January]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Austria and in Upper German dialects the older form ''Jänner'' is used.^(Paul 2002)^(Kluge 2011|454) The abbreviation is ''Jan.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}