Februar German · revision 35093

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1299, Middle High German documents|origins=la februum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈfeːbruaːr/, [ˈfeː.bʁuˌaː(ɐ̯)], [-ˌaːʁ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Februar''' ''m'' (genitive Februars or Februar, plural Februare)^(Wiktionary)

+ In Austria the month is also called ''Feber''.^(Wiktionary)^(Duden 7 2020|260)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|Februārius|t=month of purification]], short for [[m|la|mēnsis Februārius]], taken into German in the 15th century.^(Kluge 2011|282)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) The Latin adjective belongs to [[m|la|februō|t=to purify]] and [[m|la|februum|t=means of purification]]: the month was named after the rites of purification and atonement held for the living and the dead in its second half.^(Kluge 2011|282)^(Duden 7 2020|260) It was the last month of the old Roman year, which began on 1 March, and Kluge sees in this the reason for its unusual length.^(Kluge 2011|282)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The same Latin name is the source of [[nl|februari]], [[en|February]], [[fr|février]] and [[sv|februari]].^(Kluge 2011|282) Wahrig traces the Latin word further to a root [[ine-pro|*dʰwes-|t=to fumigate]], but Köbler marks such a connection as doubtful.^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Latin name already appears as a foreign word in a German text of Notker (before 1022), and the Middle High German form ''febrer'' is recorded in a document of 1299, meaning the second month of the year.^(DWB2|9, 220)^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 15th century the Latin name, at first mostly in its Latin form, competed with the native names [[Hornung]] and [[Sporkel]], and it gained ground quickly through the language of charters and chanceries and the humanists' liking for Latin.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary DE) Duden dates the end of the old names to the 16th century, but ''Hornung'' still lives on in regional speech.^(Duden 7 2020|260)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002) Until the 18th century the word often kept Latin case endings, as in ''im februario'' (1712) or ''den 28. oder 29. februarii'' (1770).^(DWB2|9, 220)

+

+ Upper and Central German adapted the name as ''Feber'', in the same way as ''Jänner'' beside [[Januar]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1022 – Notker uses the Latin month name in a German text.^(DWB2|9, 220)

+ * 1299 – Middle High German ''febrer'' appears in a document.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 15th century – ''Februar'' begins to compete with the native name ''Hornung''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|282)

+ * 1512 – ''febrer'' is written in the household book of the Nuremberg Tucher family.^(DWB2|9, 220)

+ * 16th century – ''Hornung'' and ''Sporkel'' give way to ''Februar'' in the standard language.^(Duden 7 2020|260)

+ * 18th century – Latin case endings such as ''februarii'' are still in use.^(DWB2|9, 220)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|February|alt=February]], the second month of the year, with 28 days, or 29 in a [[m|en|leap year]]: ''Im Februar fahren wir in die Berge.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Hornung]]

+ * [[Januar]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}