The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

qualities of moisture, dryness, heat, and cold. The seasons
are also called circuits (curriculum) because they
do not stand still, but ‘run a course’ (currere). 2. Further,
it is clear that after the world was made the seasons
were divided into groups of three months because of the
nature of the sun’s course. The ancients divided each
season, so that in its first month spring is called ‘new,’ in
its second ‘mature,’ and in its third ‘declining.’ 3. Soin
its three months summer is new, mature, declining; likewise
the new, mature, and declining fall, and the new,
mature, and declining or ‘extreme’ winter. Hence the
verse (cf. Vergil, Geo. 1.340):
At the setting of extreme winter.
Spring (ver) issocalledbecauseit‘is green’ (virere),
for then, after winter, the earth is clothed with plants
and everything bursts into flower. 4. Summer (aestas)
takes its name from aestus, that is, “heat”; also aestas
as if it were ‘burnt’ (ustus), that is, ‘burned out’ (exustus)
and arid, for heat is arid. 5. Fall(autumnus) isso
called from the season when the leaves of the trees fall
and everything ripens. 11 6.Thecondition of the celestial
hemisphere (hemisphaerium) gaveitsname to winter
(hiems), because at that time the sun wheels in a shorter
course. Hence this season is also called bruma,asifitwere
, that is, short (brevis). Or the name ‘winter’ is
from food, because at that time there is a greater appetite
for eating, for ‘voracity’ in Greek is called (lit.
“food”) – hence also a person who is squeamish about
food is called inbrumarius. 7. The‘hibernal’ (hibernus)
time is between winter and spring, asifitwerehievernus;
this commonly signifies “winter,” giving the name of its
part to the whole season.
These seasons are ascribed to particular parts of the
sky. 8.Thusspring is linked to the east (oriens), because
at that time everything springs (oriri) fromthe earth;
summer to the south, because that part is more flaming
with heat; winter to the north, because it is numb with
cold and continual frost; fall to the west, because it brings
serious diseases, whence also at that time all the leaves
11 Isidore alludes to the ancient etymology, as recorded by Paulus
Festus, linking autumnus with augere and auctare, both meaning
“grow.”
12 Isidore links fall with the west, the occiduus,toward the ‘setting’
(occidere, also meaning “perish”) sun.
13 The site of the games was Olympia in the state of Elis. Elis was
the name of both the state and its chief city.
The Etymologies V.xxxv.2–xxxvii.3 129
of the trees fall. 12 The meeting of cold and heat and the
conflict between different kinds of air are the reason why
fall abounds with diseases.
xxxvi. Years (De annis) 1. Theyear is the orbit of the
sun, when it returns to the same place in the heavens
after the passage of 365 days. It is called a year (annus,
cf. anus, “ring”) because it wheels back upon itself with
the recurring months – hence also a ring (anulus) isso
called, as if it were annuus, that is, a circle, because it
returns uponitself. So Vergil (Geo. 2.402):
And the year (annus) wheels back upon itself along its
own tracks.
2. Thus, among the Egyptians before the invention of
letters, it was indicated by a dragon depicted as biting its
own tail, because it turns back upon itself. Others call
it annus from the term (i.e. “renew”), that
is, from its renewal, for it is always renewed.
3. Therearethreekinds of years. The lunar year is
of thirty days; the solstitial year, which contains twelve
months; or the great year, when all the heavenly bodies
have returned to their original places, which happens
after very many solstitial years. 4.Theera(aera)ofparticular
years was established by Caesar Augustus, when
he first described the Roman world by conducting a census.
It was called an era because everyone in the world
promised to render a coin (aes,gen.aeris)tothe state.
xxxvii. Olympiads, lustrums, and jubilees (De
olympiadibus et lustris et iubileis) 1. The Olympic
games were established among the Greeks in the neighborhood
of Elis, a Greek city, with the people of Elis
performing a contest and competition every fifth year
(i.e. counting inclusively), with four years intervening.
Because of this they referred to the time cycle of the
contest of the Elians as an olympiad (olympias), with a
period of four years counted as one olympiad. 13 2.But
alustrumisa, that is, a five-year period,
because it is said to have been set in the fifth year by the
Romans, following the example of the olympiads – for
there was not yet a reckoning of time by consuls or by
eras. It is a period of five years. It is called lustrum because
the city of Rome was purified (lustrare) everyfiveyears
when the census was conducted in the state. 3.Ajubilee
(iubileus) istranslated as “a year of forgiveness.” Both
the term and the number are Hebrew. It is made up of