Why we call it 'spring:' The etymology of the seasons.

Why do we call the first season of the calendar year — when plants first begin to bud and bloom — spring?

Beginning in the late 14th century, spring was referred to as "springing time."

"Springing time," later shortened to the season name "spring," refers to the "spring of the year" when plants begin to rise from the ground.

The term refers to the noun in its older meaning: "action or time of rising or springing into existence" used in relation to the sunrise, the waxing of the moon, rising tides and more.

Other Germanic languages tend to take words for "fore" or "early" as their roots for the season's name.

Previously, the season had been called "Lent," an Old English word referring to the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, short for "Lenten" or the forty days of fasting before Easter in the Christian calendar.

Summer

Summer is based on the Old English "sumor" from the proto-Germanic "sumur," which refers to the hot season of the year.

Fall/autumn

Before the 16th century, "harvest" was typically the term used to refer to this season, and is common in West Germanic languages to this day.

The word "fall" for the season dates back to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, with Old English and Old Norse words being possible candidates, but they all have the same meaning: "to fall from a height."

The term came to denote the season in about the 16th century as a contraction of expressions including "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year."

The word "autumn" began its common usage in the late 14th century, from the Old French "autumpne" and "automne" dating to the 13th century, from the Latin "autumnus," and from the ancient Etruscan root "autu-" which connotes the passing of the year.

Winter

The name for the coldest season of the year means just that.

The old English "winter" is derived from Proto-Germanic words referring to water or the "wettest season."

Seasonal timing and tradition

The timing and characteristics of the seasons depends upon the location on Earth. Regions near the equator experience fairly constant temperatures throughout the year, while areas to the north and south have seasons which can change more significantly.

The time of year a region experiences a season depends on whether it is in the northern or southern hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere experiences winter while its northern neighbors chart summer; the north sees the slow blossom of spring while the south brings in the autumn harvest.

The cycle of seasons is caused by Earth's tilt toward the sun. The planet rotates around an (invisible) axis. At different times during the year, the northern or southern axis is closer to the sun. During these times, the hemisphere tipped toward the star experiences summer, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun experiences winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

At other locations in Earth's annual journey, the axis is not tilted toward or away from the sun. During these times of the year, the hemispheres experience spring and autumn.

Some calendars in Asia, including in India, there are six seasons. In India, the seasons are called "Ritu," each about two months long: spring, summer, monsoon season, autumn, winter and prevernal, based on the astronomical division of the twelve months into six parts.

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Why we call it 'spring:' The etymology of the seasons.."