THE MONTHSThis exercise deals with calendar words which come from Roman and Norse mythology. For each group of sentences, fill in the blanks with the three best words from the set at the left.
readjusted
reassured
reestablished
reinforced
represented
January was named after the Roman god Janus, the god of beginnings and of doors and gateways. Janus was ___________ as having two faces so that he might guard both entrances and exits. This has ___________ the mistaken belief that January was so named because it was the first month of the year. In fact, however, when the ten-month Roman calendar was ____________ about 700 B.C., January was added as the eleventh month and so named because it contained a feast day in honor of Janus. In 153 B.C. it began to be counted, as the first month and January 1 quickly became a popular festival.
denoted
denounce
deprived
derived
desist
February is ___________ from the Latin februo which means “to purify.” February 15th ___________ an important festival for the Romans. On this day priests ran through the streets, touching or striking everyone they met with strips of skin from sacrificed goats. Women prayed that the priests would not ___________ from this activity until they had been touched or struck, for the goat skins were thought to be charms against childlessness. It lost a day to the newly-created August.
incomparable
inconsistent
inconvenient
indefinite
indisputable
March was the first month of the year according to the ancient Roman calendar which contained only ten months. Beginning the new year in the spring is ____________ with the calendar we use, but the Romans started the new ___________ year in the spring because it was the beginning of the planting season. It is an ____________ fact that the very early Italians worshipped Mars as the god of agriculture, and they dedicated the coming of spring to him and to the ___________ blessings of planting and rebirth.
believed
befall
beside
besides
beyond
April’s name is ___________ to come from the Latin word aperire to open. Spring is, indeed, a time of openings for military adventures ___________ the northern borders where the winter was longer and harsher than in Italy. ___________, the Romans were thinking of the opening of the buds on the trees and flowers in warm spring weather.
intend
increase
instrumental
intense
inadvisable
May is thought to have been named after the goddess Male. This goddess was __________ to growth and represented spring. The custom of holding May Festivals probably dates back to pagan times when ___________ celebrations were held to beg protection from the gods for thе ___________ of the new crops.
protegee
proposed
protectress
prospective
proclaimed
June may have been so ___________ in honor of another goddess, Juno, who was the wife of Jupitar and, therefore, queen. Though her marriage was not a happy one, her month was associated with ___________ young brides, since Juno was the __________ of women. May and June may have been months which honored age and youth from the Latin “Maiores” (elders) and “iuniores” (youths).
predominant
prevailed
previously
predecessor
preference
July and August commemorate two great Roman emperors, Julius and Augustus Caesar. _________ these two months were called “Quintilis” (5th month) and “Sextilis” (6th month) originally being counted from March. In the year of Julius Caesar’s assasination, Mark Anthony persuaded the Roman Senate to make the change. Nephew and heir of Julius, Augustus Caesar changed the name of the following month himself, based on his title “Augustus”. This was a lucky one for Augustus Caesar. In it he ___________, winning a number of victories, celebrating three triumphs, and put an end to the civil wars. In boosting his position, Augustus wouldn’t have a shorter month than his __________, Julius, so he added a day to his month borrowed from February.
enumerate
numerals
numinous
nominally
numerable
September, October, November and December are the remaining four months which retain their original names based, on ___________. Interestingly, Nona and Decima (ninth and tenth) were Roman gods of a special function, here watching over the critical months preceding childbirth. Both Caesars made __________ changes in the lengths of these months in their balancing acts. December was the traditional month for great festivals among both the Roman and Teutonic (Germanic) peoples and some of these traditions mixed with later Christmas symbols and activities and are accepted as _________ Christian today.
Answer Key:
January: represented, reinforced, reestablished
February: derived, denoted, desist
March: inconsistent, indisputable, incomparable
April: believed, beyond, besides
May: instrumental, intense, increase
June: proclaimed, prospective, protesters
July & August: previously, prevailed, predecessor
September, October, November & December: numerals, numerous, nominally