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Nov 9, 2023 · In around the 13 th century, the word’s meaning shifted to ‘seed-time,’ referring to the various times of year that were optimal for planting seeds to encourage maximum crop yields. From here, the word evolved into the umbrella term ‘season’ as we know it today, while each time of year developed its own distinct name.
- Rosie Lesso
- The Origins of Spring
- The Origins of Summer
- The Origins of Fall
- The Origins of Winter
Before spring was called spring, it was called Lent in Old English. Beginning in the 14th century, that time of year was called “springing time”—a reference to plants “springing” from the ground. In the 15th century this got shortened to spring-time, and then further shortened in the 16th century to simply spring.
Summer came from the Old English name for that time of year, sumor. This, in turn, came from the Proto-Germanic sumur-, which itself came from the Proto-Indo-European root sam-. Sam- seems to be a variant of the Proto-Indo-European sem-,meaning “together/one.”
The origin of fall as a name for a season isn't perfectly clear, though it’s thought that it probably came from the idea of leaves falling from trees (particularly the contraction of the English saying “fall of the leaf"). It first popped up as a name for a season in late 16th century England and became particularly popular during the 17th century,...
Winter, meanwhile, derives from the Proto-Germanic wentruz. This, in turn, probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European wed, meaning “wet,” or wind-, meaning “white.” Either way, the Proto-Germanic wentruz gave rise to the Old English winteras the fourth season of the year, and the name for the season has stuck around ever since. Incidentally, you m...
- Daven Hiskey
Sep 20, 2022 · Long before it was called "fall" or "autumn," the third season of the year was referred to as "harvest" in England. The season was given this name since it was the time of year when farmers would ...
- Chelsey Grasso
Feb 26, 2013 · J.K. asks: Why are the seasons called winter, spring, summer, and fall? “Winter” derives from the Proto-Germanic *wentruz, meaning winter. This in turn probably comes from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *wed, meaning “wet”. Alternatively, it may come from the PIE *wind-, meaning “white”. Either way, the Proto-Germanic *wentruz gave rise to the Old English “winter” as the fourth ...
Nov 7, 2018 · It really gained widespread use in the 16th century, which is about the same time that the term “fall” began to be used to describe this time of year. Of all the season names, this one the hardest to trace its origin. It is believed that it came from the English saying, “fall of the leaf,” which would refer to the leaves falling from ...
Oct 2, 2012 · Finally, in the 18th century, "harvest" had lost its seasonal meaning altogether, and "fall" and "autumn" emerged as the two accepted names for the third season. But by the 19th century, "fall ...
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Oct 2, 2023 · The names autumn and fall are both commonly used. Autumn is thought to be slightly older, appearing in the 1300s, with the word fall first appearing around the 1500s in reference to leaves falling off trees. An even earlier name for the season is harvest. ’Tis the time of colorful foliage, crisp air, the first frost, and pumpkin spice.
