September is named after the Latin word for "seven," septem.
Historically, the month of September derives its name from its position in the ancient Roman calendar. According to the provided reference, mensis September was originally the seventh month of a ten-month year. This calendar began with March (mensis Martius).
Here's a breakdown based on the historical context:
- Origin: The name comes directly from the Latin word septem, meaning "seven."
- Ancient Calendar: In the early Roman calendar, September was indeed the seventh month.
- Calendar Reform: Even after reforms resulted in a 12-month year and September became the ninth month, it retained its original name reflecting its earlier position.
Therefore, despite being the ninth month in our current calendar system, September's name serves as a linguistic echo of its former place as the seventh month, named after the Latin word for that number.
