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December means tenth month in the ancient Roman calendar.
January and February were added in 700 BC by Numa.


In the old days of the Roman calendar, the winter period of January and February was effectively monthless, and the year started in March. Therefore, in the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month (septem = seven), October was the eighth month (octem = eight), November was the ninth month (novem = nine), and December the tenth month (decem = 10).

'Effectively monthless'? Not sure what that means. I am told that comparative mythology suggests that the reason why the Dark Ages were so called was because there was a close encounter with a heavenly body which blotted out the sun for decades, and which shifted the earth onto a larger orbit, with more days in the year, thus creating a demand for two extra months in the year. Extraordinary as this may seem it rings true for me. I don't think the Romans would leave sixty days in the year outside their calendar. They had an empire to manage. The reason why 60 days were outside the Roman calendar was that these days didn't exist, until this cataclysmic event.

According to The Bible the month of Nisan, which is the month containing Passover is the first of the year. This is also equivalent to the solar month of March. Since Passover must always be the first full moon after the spring equinox, the lunar/solar calendar in use in biblical times was adjusted so that the first month always started at the new moon before the spring equinox.

BTW this implies that the superstition of the year being 60 days shorter could not have occurred as the Jewish calendar was the same in Roman times as it is now.
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Q: Why is December the twelfth month when deci means 10?
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Related questions

If deci means 10 why is December the 12th month?

March was once the first month of the year.


What does the month of December take its name from?

From the Latin prefix 'deci' - meaning 'ten'. December was originally the tenth month of the caledar - but Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar both wanted months named after them - so December got pushed back with the addition of July & August.


What does he word deci mean?

Deci means 1/10th


Value of deci?

The prefix deci means 1/10.


What is deci in decimal?

Deci means one tenth of a mumber. EX. decilitre- It means 1/10 of a litre. Deci is a term like 'Centi. Deci= 1/10 ,Centi= 1/100


What does deci mean in decimal?

Deci means ten. Our numeral system is based on the counting of tens.


How much is 1 decimeter?

A decimeter is one tenth of a meter, or 10 centimeters, or 100 millimeters. It is equal to about one third of a foot, or 3.94 inches, in English measurement.


What does the prefix deci mean?

The prefix deci means 10th (1/10) 10.


What is the meaning of the prefixes deci?

it means lollipop


What is a prefix that means one tenth?

deci-


What is an object that weighs a decigram?

deci is one of the SI prefixes. Deci means 1/10th of a gram. This is not to be confused with deca which means 10 grams.


Name the prefix that means one-tenth of?

The prefix "deci" means one tenth. A decimeter is is one tenth of a meter.However, this prefix is not an approved part of the Metric System (SI).The prefix that means one-tenth is deci. The symbol for deci is d. It is a prefix used in the metric system.