This is a rather elementary question but I’m revising vocabulary in LLPSI Book 1 and am looking at the months. In Latine Disco Orberg tells us that Latin months are adjectives. But in the vocabulary at the back of the book he gives information on all the months as if they are nouns: e.g. Februarius, -i (m) etc…
What am I missing? Is it that Mensis is masculine and so all months are masculine adjectives…?
Salve pmda!
Interesting question. Allen & Greenough’s New Latin Grammar has the following to say about this.
Names of Male beings, and of Rivers, Winds, > Months> , and Mountains, are > masculine:> –
- pater, > father> ; Iûlius, > Julius> ; Tiberis, > the Tiber> ; auster, > south wind> ; > Iânuârius, > January> ; Apennînus, > the Apennines> .
NOTE.–Names of Months are properly adjectives, the masculine noun > mênsis> , > month> , being understood: as, > Iânuârius> , > January> .
Vale,
Carolus Raeticus
Gratias tibi ago…