The name of the Old Slavonic months of the year. Old Russian names of the months Origin of the names of the months

Your attention is invited to several options for the reconstruction of the Slavic calendar, comparison and order of months on different Slavic languages, as well as detailed explanation the origin and meaning of the names of each of the months of the year. It should also be noted that the true Slavic calendar was sunny; it was based on 4 seasons (seasons), in each of which the solstice holiday (rotation, solstice, equinox) was celebrated. With the advent of Christianity in Russia, they began to use moon calendar, which is based on the period of changing the phases of the moon, as a result of which, by now, a certain "demolition" of dates has formed by 13 days ( new style). The dates of the Slavic pagan holidays (many of which have been replaced with Christian names over time) are considered according to the old true style and "lag behind" the new calendar by 13 days.

Table 1. Variants of the names of the Slavic months.

Origin of the names of the months

The Romans originally had a lunar year of 10 months, beginning in March and ending in December; which is indicated, by the way, by the names of the months. So, for example, the name of the last month - December comes from the Latin "deka" (deca), which means the tenth. However, soon, according to legend - under Tsar Numa Pompilius or Tarquinius I (Tarquinius the Ancient) - the Romans switched to lunar year at 12 months containing 355 days. To bring it into line with the solar year, an extra month (mensis intercalarius) was added from time to time already under Numa. But anyway civil year with holidays for famous times year, did not coincide with the natural year at all. The calendar was finally put in order by Julius Caesar in 46 BC: he introduced a solar year of 365 days with the insertion of one day in every 4th year (we have this day - February 29); and set the beginning of the year from January. The calendar and yearly cycle was named after the great Roman general and statesman Julian.

Months were designated by the same names as now. The first six months are named after the Italic gods (with the exception of February, named after a Roman holiday), July and August were called Quintilis (fifth) and Sextilis (sixth) until the time of Emperor Augustus, they received the names Julius and Augustus in honor of Julius Caesar and Augustus . Thus, the names of the months were as follows: Januarius, Februarius, Martius, Aprilis, Majus, Junius, Quintilis (Julius), Sexlilis (Augustus), September (from Latin "septem" - seven, seventh), October (from Latin "okto "- eight, eighth), November (from Latin "novem" - nine, ninth) and, finally, December (tenth). In each of these months, the Romans counted the same number of days as it is considered at the present time. All the names of the months are adjectives in which the word "mensis" (month) is either implied or added. Calendae was called the first day of every month.

In Russia, the word "calendar" has been known only since the end of the 17th century. Emperor Peter I introduced it. Prior to that, it was called the "message". But whatever you call it, the goals remain the same - fixing dates and measuring time intervals. The calendar gives us the opportunity to record events in their chronological order, serves to highlight special days(dates) in the calendar - holidays, and for many other purposes. Meanwhile, the old names of the months among Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles are still in use!

January so named because it was dedicated by the ancient Romans to Janus, the god of Peace. In our country, in the old days, it was called "Prosinets", as they believe, from the blue of the sky beginning to appear at this time, shining, from strengthening, with the addition of day and sunlight. On January 21, by the way, the Prosinets holiday is celebrated. Take a closer look at the January sky and you will understand that it fully justifies its name. The Little Russian (Ukrainian) name for January "section" (sichen, sіchen) indicates either the turning point of winter, which, according to popular belief, occurs precisely in January, the dissection of winter into two halves, or crackling, severe frosts. Some of the researchers single out the root "blue" in the word "blue", believing that such a name was given to January for the early twilight - with "blue". Some scientists associated the name with an old folk custom to go to "Svyatki" from house to house and ask for a treat. In Russia, the month of January was originally the eleventh in a row, for March was considered the first, but when the year began to be counted from September, January became the fifth; and, finally, since 1700, since the time of the change made in our chronology by Peter the Great, this month has become the first.

February the Romans had last month in the year and is named after Febra, the ancient Italian god, to whom he was dedicated. The indigenous Slavic-Russian names of this month were: "cut" (a name common to it with January) or "snezhen", probably from snowy time or, according to the verb, whip for blizzards, common in this month. In Little Russia, from the 15th century, following the imitation of the Poles, the month of February began to be called "fierce" (or lute), for it is known for its fierce blizzards; the settlers of the northern and middle Russian provinces still call him "bokogrey", because at this time the cattle comes out of the stables and heats their sides in the sun, and the owners themselves warmed their sides by the stove. In modern Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish languages, this month is still called "fierce".

March. From this month, the Egyptians, Jews, Moors, Persians, ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as, once upon a time, our Slavic ancestors began the year. The name "March" was given to this month by the Romans in honor of Mars, the god of war; it was brought to us from Byzantium. The true Slavic names of this month in the old days in Russia were different: in the north it was called "dry" (little snow) or "dry" from the spring warmth that drains all moisture; in the south - "berezozol", from the action of the spring sun on the birch, which at this time begins to fill with sweet juice and buds. Zimobor - conquering winter, opening the way to spring and summer, a thorn - this month the snow begins to melt, thawed patches, drops appear (hence another name for a dropper). Often the month of March is called the "flying" month, since spring begins with it, the harbinger of summer, and together with the months following it - April and May - makes up the so-called "flying" (which is celebrated on May 7).

April comes from the Latin verb "aperire" - to open, and it indicates, in fact, the opening of spring. The old Russian names of this month were birch (breezen) - by analogy with March; snow-driving - streams run, taking with them the remains of snow, or even pollen, because it is then that the first trees begin to bloom, spring blooms.

May. Latin name this month is given in honor of the goddess Maya, as well as many others, it came to us from Byzantium. The old Russian name for this month was herbal, or grass (herbalist), which reflected the processes taking place in nature at that time - a riot of growing herbs. This month was considered the third and last summer month. This name is known in the Ukrainian language.

June. The name of this month comes from the word "junius", given to him in honor of the goddess Juno by the Romans. In the old days, the original Russian name for this month was izok. Izok was the name given to the grasshopper, of which this month was especially abundant. Another name for this month is a worm, especially common among Little Russians, from a worm or a worm; this is the name of a special kind of dye worms that appear at this time. This month is also called colorful, because nature is born with an indescribable riot of colors of flowering plants. In addition, in ancient times, the month of June was often called kresnik by the people - from the word "kres" (fire).

July comes from the name "julius", given in honor of Gaius Julius Caesar, and, of course, has Roman roots. In our old days, it was called, like June - worm - from fruits and berries that ripen in July, they are distinguished by a special reddishness (scarlet, red). The folk-poetic expression "red summer" can serve as a literal translation of the name of the month, in which attention is drawn to the brightness summer sun. Another original Slavic name for July is Lipets (or Linden), which is now used in Polish, Ukrainian and Belarusian as the month of linden blossom. July is also called the "crown of summer", since it is considered the last month of summer (July 20 is celebrated as "Perun's Day", after which, according to popular belief, autumn comes), or even "sufferer" - from the suffering summer work, "thunderstorm" - from severe thunderstorms.

August. Like the previous one, this month got its name from the name of the Roman emperor - Augustus. The root ancient Russian names of the month were different. In the north, it was called "glow" - from the radiance of lightning; in the south, "serpen" - from the sickle, which is used to remove bread from the fields. Often this month is given the name "zornichnik", in which it is impossible not to see the changed old name "glow". It will be unnecessary to explain the name "stubble", because in this month the time of reaping in the fields and harvesting came. Some sources interpret the glow as associated with the verb "roar" and denotes the period of the roar of animals during estrus, while others suggest that the name of the month contains an indication of thunder and evening lightning.

September- "sentemvriy", the ninth month of the year, among the Romans was the seventh, which is why it got its name (from the Latin word "septem" - the seventh). In the old days, the original Russian name of the month was "ruyin" - from the roar of autumn winds and animals, especially deer. The old Russian form of the verb "ryuti" (roar) is known, which, when applied to the autumn wind, meant "roar, blow, call." He received the name "frown" due to his weather differences from others - the sky often frowns, it rains, autumn comes in nature. Another name for this month is "spring" due to the fact that heather begins to bloom right now.

October- "octovry", the tenth month of the year; among the Romans, it was the eighth, which is why it got its name (from the Latin "octo" - eight). Among our ancestors, it is known under the name "leaf fall" - from the autumn fall of leaves, or "pazdernik" - from pazderi, bonfires, since this month they begin to crush flax, hemp, and manners. Otherwise - "dirty", from the autumn rains, causing bad weather and dirt, or "wedding" - from weddings, which are celebrated at this time by the peasants.

November. "Noemvriem" (november) we call the eleventh month of the year, but among the Romans it was the ninth, which is why it got its name (nover - nine). In the old days, this month was actually called breast (breast or chest), from piles of frozen earth with snow, since in general in Old Russian the winter frozen road was called the chest path. In Dahl's dictionary, the regional word "pile" means "frozen ruts along the road, frozen hummocky mud."

December. "Dekemvriy" (lat. december) is our name for the 12th month of the year; among the Romans, it was the tenth, which is why it got its name (decem - ten). Our ancestors called it "jelly", or "studny" - from the cold and frost, common at that time.

The word "month" itself indicates the connection between the allocation of such a chronological segment with lunar cycles and has European roots. Consequently, the duration of the month ranged from 28 to 31 days; it is not yet possible to specify the number of days by month more accurately.

Table 2. Comparative names of months in different Slavic languages.

In the "Ostromir Gospel" (XI century) and others ancient monuments writing, January corresponded to the name prosinets (since it was getting lighter at that time), February - cut (since it was the season of deforestation), March - dry (since the earth had already dried up in some places), April - birch, birch zozol (names related with a birch that begins to bloom), May - grass (from the word "grass"), June - izok (grasshopper), July - worm, sickle (from the word "sickle", indicating harvest time), August - glow (from "glow "), September - ryuen (from "roar" and the roar of animals), October - leaf fall, November and December - chest (from the word "pile" - a frozen rut on the road), sometimes - jelly.

Thus, the Slavs did not have common ideas about the order and name of the months. From the whole mass of names, Proto-Slavic names are revealed, which indicates the unity of the origin of the calendar. The etymology of the names is also not always clear and gives rise to all sorts of disputes and speculations on this topic. The only thing that most reenactors agree on is the connection of names with natural phenomena characteristic of the annual cycle.

It is very interesting to compare the names of the months modern and Old Slavonic. they don’t tell us anything, but in the Slavic ones you can notice features that were iconic for our ancestors. July is a sufferer, a time of hard work in the field, October is a wedding day, the most suitable time for a walk, and December is fierce, a time of cold weather. Folk names help to learn about the life of the villagers, about their observations, signs. The traditional calendar was called the calendar.

March

It was from this spring month that the year usually began, and not only among the Slavs, but also among the Jews, Egyptians, Romans, ancient Greeks and Persians. Traditionally, the beginning of the new year, the peasants associated either with the beginning of spring work, that is, preparation for sowing, or with the end. Peter the Great ordered to calculate the time according to the European model.

They called the first birch - in the south, dry - in the north of Russia, as well as protalnik, zimobor, beloyar. Explaining the names of the months in a simple and intuitive way. Dry, that is, dry, draining spring moisture. Sokovik, birch - it was at this time that the birch began to give juice, the buds swelled. Zimobor is the first warm month after a frosty winter, conquering winter. Protalnik - the snow begins to melt. March was also called the transit month, since spring was called the span. There are also such options as dropper, morning of the year, spring, spring, rookery.

April

The name of the Old Slavic months is often associated with observations of nature. April was called primrose and pollen because at this time nature begins to bloom, the first flowers and trees bloom. Snow-driving, the last snow was melting, caddisfly - because of the drops and numerous streams, birch and birch-zole - because of the awakening of white birches from sleep. The names sly and capricious are also known, because the weather this month is very changeable, thaws are replaced by frosts. Since the month brought the first heat, it was also called a steam room. As you can see, due to the difference in climate in one area, April was associated with the flowering of grasses, and in another - only with snow melting.

May

The Old Slavic names of the months of the year tell us about what processes were taking place at that time. The most common name for May is herbal, herbalist, since it is in this month that the lush growth of vegetation begins. This is the third passing month. May also has many popular names: pollen (the beginning of flowering of many plants), yarets (in honor of the god Yarila), leaf puff (the appearance of bunches of grass and leaves), mur (grass-ant appears), rosenik (due to abundant morning dew) .

June

The Old Slavic names of the months of the year may surprise you, since many words of the language used have been forgotten. For example, most often the month of June was called izok. This was the name of a common insect - an ordinary grasshopper. It is in June that their singing can be heard most often. Another common name is worm, due to the appearance of dye worms. You can also hear kresnik (from fire, kres), skopid, grain grower (saves up the harvest of bread for the whole year). For the abundance of colors, light: colorful, bright, rose-color, blooming, blush of the year.

July

Old Slavonic months corresponded to one of the four seasons. July was the middle of summer, because it was called the crown of summer. Most often you can hear the name Cherven because of the numerous berries and fruits that have a red color. Linden comes into full bloom, it secretes sweet sticky juice, so the second common name is lime or lime. Stradnik - from hard, suffering work in the fields, the grouse - from numerous thunderstorms.

August

The names of the months on may reflect the occupations of the peasants at that time. In August, the harvesting of bread begins, so most often it was called stubble or sickle. Known names hobosol, khlebovenny, kapustnik, pickle. Gustar, thick-eater - this month they eat plentifully, densely. Mezhnyak - like a boundary, the border between summer and autumn. In the north, thanks to the bright glow of the lightning, the names of the glow and the zornik were in use.

September

Old Slavic names of the months of the year and modern ones can be very different. So, the ancient Russian name for September was ruyin or howler, ruen - from the autumn roar of deer and other animals, and possibly winds. Frowning hints at a change in weather conditions, a cloudy, gloomy sky, frequent rains. The name Spring, Spring has several versions of its origin. In Polissya grows low evergreen shrub, honey heather. In August-September, its flowering begins. Another version says that a similar name could come from the Ukrainian word "vrasenets", which means frost, which can already appear in the morning. Another name for September is fieldfare.

October

The name of the Old Slavonic months often very clearly characterizes weather. One can easily guess that October, the month in which abundant leaf fall begins, is hidden under the name of leaf fall. And he can also recognize him under a different name - a padzernik, because it is at this time that they begin to fight, crush flax and hemp. because of frequent rains and wet weather you can hear another name - muddy. The main agricultural work was ending, the bins were full, it's time to get married, so because of the numerous weddings - a wedding man. October in Russia was also called leaf fall, yellow because of the golden autumn. It smelled like cabbage, so it's a skit. And also a baker and a sawmill.

November

There is such a word in the Old Russian language - "pile". This is a land frozen with snow, even a frozen winter road was called a chest path. So November, which gave the first frosts, was most often called chest, chest or chest month. November is rich in names: leaf fall, leaf fall (the last leaves fall, October gold begins to turn into humus), mocharets (heavy rains), snowfall and semi-winter (from the first snow at the beginning of the month it turns to real snowdrifts and frosts), off-road vehicle, summer offender, winter's song, winter's eve, gates of winter, twilight of the year (it gets dark early), solstice (the day is rapidly decreasing), hardhead, seven of the year, the month of the sledge first trip (they begin to ride on a sleigh).

December

In the cold season, such simple and speaking names, which were called the Old Slavonic months, ask for language. Our ancestors called December cold, jelly, cold, cold, because of the frosty cold that is common at this time. Mother winter is fierce, hence the names fierce, fierce, lute. The snowdrifts are already deep - snow. overcome cold strong winds and blizzards - windy winter, wind chime, wrap, chill, pull, freeze.

January

The name of the Old Church Slavonic months is not always explicit. It can help modern man a little different look at familiar things. We associate January with the very height of winter, its middle. But in the old days it was called prosinets. At this time, the weather often becomes clear, begins to show blue sky, there is more sunlight, the day lengthens. Popular names: the turning point of winter, the section (winter is cut into two halves), Vasiliev's month, winter. The frosts are still strong and do not weaken - more fierce, cracker.

February

The name of the Old Slavonic months can be the same for different periods of time. Good example- winter months, especially February. Common Slavic Russian name- section. But often there was also snow, fierce, blizzards, that is, names that are also characteristic of other winter months. One of interesting names- bokogrey. On warm days, the cattle left the barn to warm their sides under the sun. Vral - on the one hand, the barrel warms, and on the other, it cools. Another popular name is wide roads. It was believed that it was in February that forest animals created pairs, so the month could be called the animal wedding.

What are the names of the months Ancient Russia and the Slavs?
Original Russian names of the months of the year in calendar order
The origin of the ancient names of the spring, autumn, summer and winter months
Folk names of the months associated with the phenomena of wildlife and the work of people

The calendar year of our distant ancestors did not begin in January, and not even in March (as was the case in a certain era), but in September. It was September, according to the cosmogonic ideas of the ancient Rus, that was the first month of the universal year. It is also noteworthy that the limits of the months in Ancient Russia did not coincide with the boundaries of the Roman ones. At the same time, the beginning and end of the months of the Old Russian calendar were mobile. As a result, constant adjustments were required in order to restore the correspondence of the names of the months to the actual phenomena that they denoted.

To do this, the ancient Russian calendar had some relatively stable supports, denoting some of the most important milestones in the constantly changing ratios between the lunar months and the solar cycle. Such "supports" apparently were "prosinets" (indicating a constant, regularly repeating process of adding the length of the day after the winter solstice) and "serpen / stubble" (indicating the main event in the life of a farmer - harvest). Of particular importance was that the traditional name of this month coincided with the actual harvest. Consequently, intercalation could be performed first of all either before the “prosin” or before the “sickle”. But probably, the intercalation could also be consistent with the timing of the spring and autumn equinoxes.

The need for several options The intercalation is explained by the fact that the time interval between the solstice and the first new moon that followed it, which began the “prosynet”, was not constant: it fluctuated within a crescent. If the new moon followed immediately after winter solstice, then the need for an additional month could appear already by the beginning of the harvest (before the “sickle”), especially if the summer was cool and the ripening of the bread was delayed. If, on the contrary, the summer was sultry and the harvest began earlier than usual, then the need for an additional month became relevant only in the fall or immediately before the next "prosin". Thus, not abstract astronomical calculations, but seasonal fluctuations in the weather dictated to the Slavs the terms of the additional month: it was inserted into different years in various places, namely, where the difference between the name of the next month and the actual seasonal phenomenon turned out to be especially noticeable, and where the correspondence between the one and the other was especially practically necessary.

The old pre-Christian Russian name for the second month of winter was prosinets. It was preserved, for example, in the oldest Russian manuscript book, the Ostromir Gospel, which was copied in Russia in 1056-1057, as well as in the Four Gospels of 1144: The name itself prosinets associated with the verb "shine" and literally means "the time of the addition of sunlight", indicating a constant, regularly repeated process of adding the length of the day after the winter solstice.

With the advent of Christianity in Russia, a dialect form arose in the Little Russian dialect beggar, which is a folk etymological understanding of a noun that has become obscure in composition prosinets. Little Russians simply connected the Russian name of the month with Christmas and New Year's games youth, which were accompanied by begging for various food. A description of such games can be found in the story of N.V. Gogol's The Night Before Christmas. In the old Western Ukrainian calendars, the now uncommon name of January is also known. prosimets, in which there is a noticeable convergence with the word "winter".

Other month names:

• winter break (winter break)
• cut (month preceding cut)
• fierce, fierce, fireman (due to severe cold)
• cracker (due to bitter frosts)
• clematis, chipun (due to severe cold)

Sѣchn is the old Russian name for the final month of winter, which cuts through with frost. At a later time, this name is already pronounced and written with a soft final consonant "n": sechen. True, in this form it refers already to January. In the Western Little Russian dialect, the name of February is known - another sichen(second section) or sicnik. Previously, in Little Russia, the form was also known sishnenko(sichnenko), that is, "sechnyonok, son of the sichnya." Compare: Bulgarian fry(February) at golyam cut(January). Another name for February is given in a manuscript from the early 17th century. set, which is directly related to the verb "seku / flog".

Other month names:

• fierce, lute, fierce (due to fierce winds)
• blizzard, blizzard, blizzard (due to strong snowstorms)
• snow, snow, snow, snow (due to the abundance of snow)
• bokogrey (because on warm days cattle went out to bask in the sun)
• low water (border between winter and spring)
• liar (deceitful month)

The pre-Christian name of the first month of spring is known in different spellings: dry, dry, dry. It is connected with the fact that at that time the trees were still dry after severe winter frosts, and the time for the movement of juices came later.

Other month names:

• protalnik (due to the massive appearance of thawed patches)
• zimobor (winning winter, opening the way to spring and summer)
• dropper, dropper, dropper, capital (due to drops)
• rookery (due to the arrival of rooks)
• span, spring, spring (initial month of spring)
• whistler, whistle, wind-carrier (because of the winds)
• sunny, sunny (due to increased solar activity)

The literal meaning of the name of the second month of spring is berezosol- this is the "green of birches." In the first part of this compound noun the word "birch" is presented, and in the second part - the same root as in the words "green", "green", but with the alternation of the vowel e / o: "evil". Rooted Birch related name spring months and in other once Slavic regions. This is, first of all, the Little Russian birch with numerous obsolete and dialect variants, which, however, in many cases reveal a connection with Old Russian berezosol better than modern literary form birch. So, the Little Russian dialect knows the form berezosil, as well as berezil and birch dropping one of two identical syllables -zo-(a phenomenon called haplology in linguistics). It is characteristic that these Little Russian names could refer to both March and April. This also includes the Czech brezen(March), Bulgarian bryazok(April), as well as the Lithuanian birzelis(June).

Other month names:

• snegogon, snegogon, snow flow (due to massive snowmelt)
• aquarius, aquarius (due to the abundance of spring waters)
• waterfall (due to the full flood of rivers)
• caddisfly (because of the many streams)
• primrose (due to the appearance of the first flowers)
• capricious, cunning, cunning (due to the changeable nature of the weather)
• span (harbinger of summer)
• steam room (because of the dead earth)

Traven (also herbalist, herbal) is the third migratory month, when field grasses begin to grow actively. This name has been preserved in the modern Belarusian and Ukrainian calendars, the Slovenes (veliki traven) and the Bulgarians (träven) have a similar name, but among the Serbs and Croats it switched to April (grass).

Why is the fifth month called "May"? Where did this name come from?

What did the month of May mean in ancient Russia? What was May used to be called?

Folk names for the month of May, associated with the phenomena of wildlife and the labor of people.

The origin of the ancient names of May: herb, pollen (kveten), yarets, dewdrop, leaf beak, ant, mur.

Other month names:

• mur, ant (due to the abundant growth of ant grass)
• yarets (in honor of the sun god Slavic mythology Yarila)
• leafbunch (due to the appearance of leaves and tufts of grass)
• pollen, quench (due to the beginning of mass flowering of plants)
• dewdrop (due to abundant morning dew)

In the old days, June was called isok, which means "grasshopper": the meadows in the first summer month are filled with the chirping of these inconspicuous sonorous musicians.

Why is the sixth month called "June"? Where did this name come from?

What did the month of June mean in ancient Russia? What was June called before?

Folk names of the month of June, associated with the phenomena of wildlife and the labor of people.

The origin of the ancient names of June: kresen (kresnik), grain-growing, multi-colored, strawberry, milky, svetozar, hoarder.

Other month names:

• flint, flint (in honor of the summer solstice, from the word "kres" - fire)
• multicolor (due to the abundance of colors of flowering plants)
• hoarder (month hoarding crops)
• grain growth (due to the active growth of bread)
• svetozar (due to the long length of the daylight hours: a moon illuminated by light)
• strawberry (due to brightly reddening strawberries)
• Mlechen (a month of short, "white" nights)

Cherven (also blush of the year, redness) is the second month of summer, whose name literally means "red". given word has been assigned to June in Bulgarian, Polish and Czech, as well as in the southern and western dialects of the Russian language.

Other month names:

• lipets, linden (due to linden blossom)
• thunderstorm, thunderstorm, thunderstorm (due to frequent and severe thunderstorms)
• zharnik (hottest month)
• sufferer, sufferer (from suffering summer work)
• senozarnik (from "hay" and "to ripen")
• kosen, kosach, haymaker, haymaker (haymaking time)
• senostav (time to stack hay in stacks)
• sweet tooth (due to numerous berries and fruits)
• crown of summer, midlife (midsummer)

Zarev (also zarevnik, zarevnik, zarevnik, zarevnik) was, according to the Old Russian calendar, the last month of the year, as well as the final summer month, replete with lightning (hence its name). In the old days there was popular belief that the lightnings “bury the bread” (illuminate it at night), and this makes the bread pour faster. AT Kaluga region lightning to this day is called the "baker".

Other month names:

• stubble, sickle (harvest time)
• thick-eater, gustar, gustarnik (abundant month)
• hospitable, pickled bakery, generous (the most generous month)
• storehouse, gatherer (time to prepare for the winter)
• crown of summer

Ryuen is the first month of the year according to the Old Russian calendar, which is also the first autumn month. Its name arose as a result of a phonetic change of the word ruden / ruden, ascending to the root "rѹd" (genus; red, red) and meaning, according to one version, "birth of the new year", and according to another - "autumn" (compare with lat. rudens). From other monuments, such spellings as ryuin and ruyan.

Other month names:

• roar, howler (due to the sounds made by animals during estrus)
• frowning (due to cloudy weather)
• Veresen, vresen (heather flowering time)
• rain chimes (due to the noise of rain)
• northerner (due to cold winds)
• summer conductor, summer conductor (seeing off the summer)

Listopad - the second autumn month characterized by abundant leaf fall. Noun leaf fall represented in many Slavic languages ​​(albeit as a designation for November): Ukrainian leaf fall, Belarusian listapad, Polish listopad, Czech listopad. Serbian name leaf fall refers to October, like the corresponding old Russian name. The word has the same meaning in Western Ukrainian folk dialects. The Ukrainian dialect also retained a compound word padolilist with reverse order of parts compared to leaf fall. The form with the suffix " day" – leaf fall(similar to other month names with this suffix).

Other month names:

• dirty (due to the abundance of dirt that appears due to frequent rains)
• kisselnik (due to slush)
• wedding attendant (due to numerous weddings at the end of the most important agricultural work)
• leaf breaker, leaf breaker (due to strong autumn winds tearing leaves from trees)
• wintering, wintering (due to the arrival of frosts and the first snow)
• sawmill (time for harvesting firewood for the whole winter)
• pazdernik (from the word pazder"flax, hemp combs": processing time of flax, hemp)

Gruden is the last autumn month, whose name can be found in the ancient chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years". The context in which it is used helps to understand the origin of this ancient name: “Walking with him on a wheelbarrow, and along the chest path, be more then the month of breasts, it’s November”(they went ..., on a cart, but along a lumpy path, because then it was the month of breast, or November). IN AND. Dahl noted the regional meaning of the word “pile” “frozen ruts along the road, frozen, hummocky dirt to the ground, bumps, prick”. In other words, November was named chestnut or chest(thoracic) according to the frozen clods of earth characteristic of this time. In the meaning of November, the word breastfeeding is still used in Bulgarian and South Russian dialects, but the modern Ukrainian language knows it as the name of December. The term has the same meaning. grudzien in Polish. As the name of December, this word is known in Belarusian dialects (grudzen), in Serbian(grudan), Slovenian (gruden), Slovak (hruden) and Old Czech (hruden). The Lithuanian name for December (gruodis) is derived from the same root.

Other month names:

• pre-winter, semi-winter, gates of winter (time before the onset of winter)
• mocharets (due to heavy rains)
• leaf mowing (due to "mowing" the last leaves from the branches)
• unifolia (due to bare, shedding trees)
• leaf rot, foulbrood (due to rotting fallen leaves)
• off-road vehicle (due to autumn thaw)
• black trope (because of the black, not yet snow-covered autumn roads)

cold (also studen, studny, cold) - the first month of winter, whose name speaks of the arrival of winter cold. The short form - studen, studen - was rarely used as the name of the month in view of the fact that the noun was very common in the Old Russian language female jelly with the meaning "cold, cold". However, with the disappearance of this noun, the word jelly begins to be used as the name of December. However, according to P.Ya. Chernykh, in the book "Church Everyday Life" of the 13th century, there is also short form student. Studen as the name of the first winter month was once known to the Ukrainian dialect as well. Belarusian language in a word students refers to the second winter month- January, when frosts are especially strong. In Serbo-Croatian, the adjective jelly stands for November.

The word: July, or July is not Russian; it came to our fathers from Byzantium. The indigenous, Slavic names of this month were different. Our ancestors called it: worm, Little Russians and Poles: Lipets, Czechs and Slovaks: Chervenets and Sechen, Carniolians: Serpan, Wends: Sedmnik, Serpan, Illyrians: Sherpen and Sharpan. The settlement-ms of the Tula province this month is called: senozornik, Tambov: the crown of summer. In the old Russian life, it was the fifth month, and when they began to count the year from (September, it was the eleventh. Since 1700, it has been considered the seventh.

REMARKS OF OLD PEOPLE IN THE MONTH OF JULY

The observations of the villagers about the month of July are preserved in sayings: In July, at least undress, but everything will not be easier. - In July, the yard is empty, but the field is thick. - Not an ax feeds a peasant, but July work. that there is no time to lie down on the stove. - To know, a man, he did not sleep, that a woman would dance, but the crown of summer has come. - The crown of summer does not know how tired it is, cleans everything.

1. Observations

The settlers of the Tula province go from this day to the mowing. Gardeners begin to weed the ridges and pull up root vegetables for sale. In the vicinity of Moscow and the steppe places, dyeing plants are collected.

4. Signs

In the steppe places they notice that from this day the winter bread is completely poured. Then the villagers say: winters in bulk have reached. About oats: father, oats are up to half uros. About buckwheat: oats in a caftan, but there is no buckwheat and a shirt. - Winters are in bulk, and buckwheat is on the shoot.

5. Signs

In the villages outside Moscow, people go out in the evening to watch the moon play. If the moon is visible when it rises, then it seems to run from place to place or change its color and hide behind the clouds. All this, according to their remarks, seems to be due to the fact that the month has its own holiday. The game of the month promises good harvests.

8. Observations

The villagers notice that if blueberries begin to ripen from this day, then winter bread is ready for harvest.

There is a strange belief among the villagers that on this day kamakha is itself, the paint is a worm. They think that kamakha is carried by the winds to our fields with warm countries, twists into a ball and rolls under the feet of the first lucky person she meets. The discovery of kamakha portends well-being for the lucky person for a whole year. In the old days there were passionate hunters to look for kamakha. Unsuccessful seekers say that it goes only to those who are destined for such happiness. There is a fair in Tula on this day, where the villagers gather to sell canvas and thread and return home with clay dolls.

12. Signs

According to the comments of the villagers, as if big dews come from this bottom. Until that day, they rush to dry the hay in beds. Large dews seem to rot the hay. Old women-leukers collect large dews for face-to-face healing. This, de, water, they say, is harassing the full-time prisoner.