Re: [tied] Old Names for Months of the year

A. Moeller offers:

Modern Terminology    =    Old Terminology

IANUARIE               =     Gerar
FEBRUARIE            =    Faurar

MARTIE                  =     Martisor
APRILIE                  =     Prier

MAI                         =      Florar

IUNIE                      =     Ciresar
IULIE                      =      Cuptor
AUGUST                =      Gustar

SEPTEMBRIE        =      Rapciune

OCTOMBRIE         =     Brumarel
NOIEMBRIE           =    Brumar

DECEMBRIE         =     Undrea (or) Andrea

 

Of interest to me as well, and I have been asking about locally. The pairing of old and new..if that is in fact the case (?) (the references call the right column month names: “popular”)  is carried forward most prominantly on the calendars published by the Romanian Orthodox Church (2001 and 2002 examples about the house.)   Older people in agrarian communities in the countryside still use the right column versions: Moldova and elsewhere.  New school generations (students under ten) are not exposed, and are not familiar with them (at least in the city). Older students (later teens and twenties) from outside the cities have been exposed to them..but do not clearly understand the differences and origin, and don’t use them. I don’t hear or see them as month references used in Bucharest (except on the church calendars.)

 

Fragmented..as I look for more J. (Some show up in dictionaries as related to the month..others do not.)  It seems Paul Alesu referring to the activities or nature of work in the month for December/knitting is close to where most of the terms go. (calendar use/general use )

 

Gerar:  Wolf Month  / ger = frost, geros = frosty, geruial(a) = frosty weather

          Interesting: ghe(t)ar = glacier, ghe(t)(a)rie = ice house , ghea(t)(a) = ice

          While: ghear(a) = claws and sometimes teeth, jaw, so that

ghearele mor(t)ii = 1. jaws of death, or 2. death by wolves.      

F(a)urar: Smith Month /fauri = to create, forge, manufacture

M(a)r(t)i(s)or: ~ /an amulet, or specific March badge (now worn on chest, given widely now as a traditional seasonal gift thru March, oldest component is spiralled red and white thread: (old?) snow and (new?) blood.)

Prier:  ~/~ (unknown: I am without any reference or hint here beyond “April”..a wild shot is “travel” or “visit” related.)

Florar: Flower Month /floare = flower, bloom, blossom

Cire(s)ar: Cherry Month/cire(s) = sweet cherry, cire(s)iu = cherry colored

Cuptor: Hot Month / oven, furnace, heat source

Gustar:  Harvest Month, Plenty Month /slang for tasty,  gust/a = to taste, gustare = snack

(also relish, enjoy, appreciate)

R(a)pciune:   ~ /~ (possibly related to drying and storing plants, hay, feed for livestock through the seasons?) 

Brum(a)rel: Wine month/ little hoarfrost, Son of Brumar

Brumar:  ~ / hoarfrost

A/I/Undrea: ~ Weavers Month/ knitting needle, girls name

 

(PS for A. Moeller: The MS Windows disks I have used here have the language/type and some varied fonts for Romaneste, at least to convert a US keyboard when the options are selected, installed and switched on. On a US keyboard the program just borrows some symbol keys for the extra letters, but it doesn’t work on e-mail unless the direct recipient < also >  has both the language switching software and Eastern Europen languages selected as an option, installed, then set to Romaneste.  I have no idea what the yahhoo mixmaster would do to it J, and use it rarely: but others in the household use it to compose and print..but not to e-mail even friends. )      

 

Cu Stima;

Rex H. McTyeire