looduskalender.ee

 

For a moment we might consider the fact that the names we use for the months come from the culture of ancient Rome: January, February, March. Half of them celebrate gods of ancient Rome (Janus – two-faced, the god of beginnings and doors; February – the god of purification) and several remind of old Caesars (Augustus, Julius Caesar). But we have Estonian names for the months too, that are more closely related to our life and environment.
The number of people using the Estonian month names is slowly growing, and beginning this year, the names will be used in the Loodusesõber journal. To make things easier Loodusesõber gives the official names (January, February) besides the Estonian names. The February ( radokuu - Snowdrift month) issue presents a thorough discussion of the origins of the names. Author Ahto Kaasik explains why, by whom and how the current Estonian names were chosen. There are actually many alternative Estonian names, but only twelve are needed for common use.
Finally, here they are: südakuu - Heart month; radokuu - Snowdrift month; urbekuu - Catkin month; mahlakuu - Sap month; lehekuu - Leaf month; pärnakuu - Linden month; põimukuu - Harvest month; sügiskuu - Autumn month; porikuu - Mud month; kooljakuu – Dead month; jõulukuu - Christmas month.

Least well known is maybe radokuu, Snowdrift month, for February (rado – blowing snow, snowdrift in the Võro dialect); most of the other names are  easily and instinctively understandable.

 

Note: Võro language is a regional language or dialect spoken in south-eastern Estonia. Põimukuu,  for August, is also a Võro name