When learning English, if you take the time to learn about the origin (Word history), you will find it extremely interesting and easy to remember. One of the information I accidentally read is the origin of two words: July and August. Legend has it that the talented general and Roman dictator Julius Caesar used his name to name the month of July.
It was the turn of Augustus Caesar, the next Roman emperor who did not want to be inferior, so he named the next month by his name - August. But there is one thing that July has 31 days but at that time August only had 30 days. Not wanting to lose again, Augustus ordered an extra day in August to make 31 days, by taking away 1 day of February. And since then, the calendar we still use today has the number of days of such months. I used to wonder at that time, obviously the months were alternating 30 - 31 days, but why are they all 31 until July - August?
In addition, I also give to you some other interesting word origin explanations:
- March is named after the war god Mars.
- Monday is named after the Moon, while Sunday is named after the Sun, and Saturday is named after Saturn.
- The word ''Salary'' come from the fact that soldiers in Rome were paid with bags of salt in exchange for necessities, such as a sum of money. And one person jokingly calls ''Salt-money'' into salary, which is use to refer to salary until now.
- Atlas (Map) is also a word derived from the god Atlas in Greek Mythology who was punished by Zeus to carry the whole sky on his back.
