Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Barbara McAllister
Word of the Day: October
How did the 10th month get a prefix that means eight? In the ancient Roman calendar, October was the eighth month of the year, named “octo” from the Latin for “eight,” because the old Roman calendar had 10 months, which started in March. Julius Caesar’s astronomers decided the year needed 12 months as well as a leap year to synchronize with the seasons, so the Romans converted to a 12-month Julian calendar. The Romans named the first eight months after Roman gods, leaders and festivals, but September, October, November and December remained named after the Roman numbers for seven, eight, nine and 10.
Other words associated with the “octo” prefix are more logical. An octopus has eight tentacles, an octogenarian is someone in their 80s, octane is a hydrocarbon with eight carbon atoms, an octagon is eight-sided figure, an octuplet is one of eight children from one birth, and an octave is comprised of eight notes. An octant is a cousin of the more familiar sextant, a navigational device. The sextant, from the Latin “sexus,” for six, measures the angle of the horizon relative to the altitude of a celestial object using an arc divided into sixths. The octant is a similar device using an arc graduated into eighths. It was once popular with navigators because of its relatively small size, light weight, and versatility.
The British have the phrase “One over the eight” to mean one drink too many, or slightly intoxicated. It came from military slang, the presumption being an average man can safely drink eight glasses of beer(!). Most charts estimate eight beers would result in a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit in the U.S.
