October is a noun and defined as the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. First used around the 12th century, October is one of the many words in the English language that has its roots in Latin. Historical names for October include the Anglo-Saxon word Winterfylleth or the “winter full moon” because winter began during the first full moon of this month.
Today, the most widely used calendar is the Gregorian calendar. Introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, the Gregorian calendar can be traced back to the Roman calendar, which consisted of 10 months and a dead period during winter. The original 10 months were Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December. October was named after the Latin word for eight, octo, because it was originally the eighth month in the early Roman calendar. It wasn’t until 450 BC when January officially became the first month of the calendar year and pushed October from the eight to tenth month.
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Sources
“October.” Merriam-Webster.com
https://www.almanac.com/content/how-did-months-get-their-names
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61127/month-month-guide-anglo-saxon-calendar
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