# Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring



## Manok

I've been thinking a good deal about The Four Seasons concerti by Vivaldi a good deal, as I'm going to Italy next year, and thought, what are the seasons in the other languages? In Italian: primavera, inverno, estate,  and autunno. I'd love to learn a few from the languages that aren't of the Romance variety. I know the ones in Russian and French as well.  French: Printemps, été, autumno, hiver. I do not have a Russian keyboard on me at the second, so maybe someone else can post those.


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## ger4

(1) springtime (2) summer (3) autumn (4) winter

Russian:
(1) весна /vesná/ 
(2) лето /léto/ 
(3) осень /ósen'/ 
(4) зима /zimá/

German:
(1) Frühling (früh: early, -ling: derivational suffix)
(2) Sommer
(3) Herbst
(4) Winter


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## Dymn

Manok said:


> I've been thinking a good deal about The Four Seasons concerti by Vivaldi a good deal, as I'm going to Italy next year, and thought, what are the seasons in the other languages? In Italian: primavera, inverno, estate,  and autunno. I'd love to learn a few from the languages that aren't of the Romance variety. I know the ones in Russian and French as well.  French: Printemps, été, *automne*, hiver. I do not have a Russian keyboard on me at the second, so maybe someone else can post those.



In *Catalan*:
Primavera (f)
Estiu (m)
Tardor (f)
Hivern (m)

In *Spanish*:
Primavera (f)
Verano (m)
Otoño (m)
Invierno (m)


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## Armas

Hello, in Finnish we have

(1) kevät
(2) kesä (western and poetic is suvi)
(3) syksy
(4) talvi


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## ger4

Estonian:

(1) kevad
(2) suvi (in some compound nouns: kesa-)*
(3) sügis (-ü- is pronounced [y])
(4) talv (-l- is palatalized here)

* kesapõld: summer fallow


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## bibax

Latin:

(1) ver n., tempus vernum;
(2) aestas f., tempora aestiva;
(3) autumnus m.;
(4) hiems f., tempus hibernum/hiemale, tempora hiberna;

Czech:

(1) jaro n. (poet. vesna f.);
(2) léto n.;
(3) podzim m. (poet. jeseň f.);
(4) zima f.;


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## Gavril

Welsh:

*gwanwyn* "spring" < *_wesantēno_- (from the same source as Latin _ver_, etc.)
_
*haf* _"summer" < *_sam_-, cognate with Eng. _summer_, etc.

*hydref *"autumn" (also the word for "October") < origin unknown; there is a synonymous word _hyddfref_, formed from _hydd_ "stag" + _bref_ "crying, lowing" (thus "the season when the stag cries after its mate"), but this may be a later formation based on _hydref, _rather than the predecessor thereof

*gaeaf *"winter" < *_ghijemo_-, cognate with Latin _hiems_, Slovene _zima_, etc.


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## rusita preciosa

bibax said:


> (3) podzim m.
> (4) zima f.;


does *podzim* literally mean "sub-winter" or "pre-winter"?


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## ThomasK

Dutch : 
-* lente, *the days become longer (langer, lengte)(voorjaar - pre-> early year)
- zomer 
- *herfst *(Lat.  carpere, harvesting)
- winter


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## bibax

rusita preciosa said:


> does *podzim* literally mean "sub-winter" or "pre-winter"?


Yes, podzim < pod zimou = below winter;

adj. podzimní, in Russian подзимний (e.g. посев);


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## 810senior

Hi, in non-European language.

Japanese:
春haru : spring
夏natsu : summer
秋aki : autumn
冬fuyu : winter


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## apmoy70

In Greek:


Season: *«Εποχή»* [epoˈçi] (fem.) < Classical fem. deverbal noun *«ἐποχὴ» ĕpŏkʰḕ* --> lit. _position as referred to celestial or terrestrial latitude and longitude_, since Hellenistic times also, _season, fixed point in time, epoch_ < Classical v. *«ἐπέχω» ĕpékʰō* --> _to hold, hold out to, present, offer_, intr. _to aim at, attack_ < compound; Classical adv. & prefix *«ἔπι» épĭ* --> _on it, at it_ (PIE *h₁epi-, _on_ cf Skt. अपि (ápi), _also, too_; Arm. եվ (yev), _also, and_) + Classical v. *«ἔχω» ékʰō* --> _to possess, retain, have_ (PIE *seǵʰ-, _to hold, have_ cf Skt. सहते (sahate), _to bear, endure, tolerate_, सहस् (sáhas), _force, power, victory_).


Spring: *«Άνοιξη»* [ˈanik͡si] (fem.) < Byz. 3rd declension fem. deverbal noun *«ἄνοιξις» ánoik͡sis* < Classical v. *«ἀνοίγνυμῐ» ănoígnumĭ* --> _to open, unfold, disclose_ < compound; Classical prefix and preposition *«ἀνά» aná* --> _up along_ (PIE *h₂en-, _up, on high_ cf Proto-Germanic *ana > Ger. an, Eng. on, Dt. aan, Isl. á, Swe. å, på, D./Nor. Bokmål på, Nor. Nynorsk å) + Classical (rare) verb *«οἴγνυμι» oígnumĭ* --> _to open_ (PIE *h₃ueig-, _to give away_ cf Skt. वेग (vega), _impulse, speed, velocity_).
The ancients used the neuter noun *«ἔαρ» éar* instead (PIE *ues-r-, _spring_ cf Skt. वसन्त (vasanta); Arm. գարուն (garun); Proto-Slavic *vesna > Rus./Ukr. весна, BCS весна/vesna; S. Kurdish wehar/وه‌هار ).


Summer: *«Καλοκαίρι»* [kaloˈceɾi] (neut.) < Byz. *«καλοκαίριν» kalokaírin* (neut.) < compound; combinatory form *«κᾰλο-» kălo-* of adj. *«κᾰλός» kălós* --> _beautiful, fair, noble, good_ (with obscure etymology) + masc. noun *«καιρός» kairós* 
--> _right measure, right point of time, (favorable) opportunity, time of the year, time, weather_ (with obscure etymology).
Formally, *«θέρος»* [ˈθeros] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«θέρος» tʰérŏs* (PIE *gʷʰer-, _warm_ cf Skt. हरस् (haras), _flame, heat_; Proto-Slavic *gorěti, _to burn_ > Rus. горeть, Cz. hořet, Svk. horiet, Pol. gorzeć, BCS гoрети, гoрјети/goreti, gorjeti). 


Autumn: *«Φθινόπωρο»* [fθiˈnopoɾo] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«φθινόπωρον» pʰtʰĭnópōrŏn* < compound; Classical v. *«φθίνω» pʰtʰínō* --> _to decline, decay, perish_ (PIE *dʰgʷʰei-, _to disappear_ cf Skt. क्षिति (ks̩iti), _wane, destruction_) + Classical fem. noun *«ὀπώρᾱ» ŏpṓrā* --> _harvest, fruit_ (PIE *h₁opi-, _at, on_ + *h₁os-r/n-, _harvest time_ cf Proto-Slavic *(j)esenь, _autumn_ > Rus. осень, Bel. восень, Ukr. осінь, Svk. jeseň).


Winter: *«Χειμώνας»* [çiˈmonas] (masc.) < Classical masc. noun *«χειμών» kʰeimṓn* and *«χεῖμᾰ» kʰeîmă* (neut.) --> _winter, winter weather_ (PIE *ǵʰ(e)i-m-, _winter_ cf Skt. हिमा (himā); Hitt. gimmi-; Lat. hiems; Proto-Slavic *zima > Rus./Ukr. зима, OCS зима, BCS зима/zima, Cz./Pol./Svk./Slo. zima; Arm. ձմեռ (jmer); Alb. dijën).


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## 123xyz

Macedonian:

пролет - spring (pre-summer; a feminine noun despite the masculine ending)
лето - summer (poetically, also "year")
есен - autumn (likewise a feminine noun with a masculine ending)
зима - winter


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## Zsanna

In Hungarian /approx. pronunciation given/:

tavasz /tovos/ - spring
nyár /nja:r/ - summer
ősz /ő- like *i* in _bird_ + s/ - autumn (the same word is used for "salt and pepper", when white hair appears but also when somebody has only white hair)
tél /tel/ - winter


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## ger4

Danish: 
forår - spring (lit. before-year) 
vår - spring (rather poetic)
sommer - summer
efterår - autumn (lit. after-year) 
høst - autumn, harvest (rather poetic)
vinter - winter
Approx. pronunciation: å as in 'saw'; syllable-final -r always vocalized; ø as Hungarian ő (cf previous post) but short (not always but in this example)


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## Rallino

In Turkish:

ilkbahar (ilk: first; bahar: spring) /ilk rhymes with 'silk'; the a's are as in 'salmon'/
yaz /it's like the Diaz part of _Cameron Diaz_, but without the initial d/
sonbahar (son: last; bahar: spring); _rather poetic: _güz /o as in 'door', but shorter; a as in 'salmon'; g is hard; ü is just like in German and Hungarian./
kış /ı is pronounced almost like a schwa; ş is 'sh'. /


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## Treaty

Persian:
spring: بهار _bahār_
summer: تابستان _tābestān _(_tāb _= "shining" or "heat" + _stān _= "place" or "zone")
autumn: خزان _xazān _(literary) or پاییز _pā'īz_
winter: زمستان _zemestān _or _zamestān _(_zam _= "cold" or "soil")


Arabic:
spring: ربیع _rabīʿ_
summer: صیف _ṣayf_
autumn: خریف _xarīf_
winter: شتاء _šitā_'


x and š are pronounced like Spanish j and English sh, respectively.


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## ger4

Latvian:
1 pavasaris - spring
2 vasara - summer
3 rudens - autumn
4 ziema - winter
Approx. pronunciation: stress on the first syllable; vowels without macron are short; -ie- is a diphtong 

Polish:
1 wiosna - spring
2 lato - summer
3 jesień - autumn
4 zima - winter


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## kimsoon

In Vietnamese:

1/ Mùa xuân (Spring): This is the first season in one year.
2/ Mùa hè (Summer)
3/ Mùa thu (Autumn)
4/ Mùa đông (Winter


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## ger4

Swedish:
1 vår - spring
2 sommar - summer
3 höst - autumn
4 vinter - winter 
_höst_: _ö_ as i in _bird_ but shorter


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## Gavril

Armenian:

*գարուն *(_garun/karun_) "spring" < *wesr.- (the same root as Latin _ver_, Welsh_ gwanwyn_, etc.)

*ամառ *(_amarr_) "summer" < *samr.- (English _summer_, Welsh _haf_, etc.)

*աշուն *(_ašun_) "autumn" < origin unknown (very similar in form to Gothic _asans _“harvest, summer”, but the two words apparently don't show the expected sound correspondences)

*ձմեռ *(_dzmer_/_tsmer_) "winter" < *gheimrin-, cf. Latin _hibernus _”of winter”


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## mundiya

Hindi

basant/vasant or bahaar - spring

garmii or griishma - summer

sharad - autumn

sardii or jaaRaa - winter


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## Encolpius

--- at least I'll mention a language you cannot find in Google translator 

Czech Romani: jara/jaros - *ňilaj/linaj* - jejsos - *jevend*
Hungarian Romani: primavara - *milaj* - tomna - *jivend*


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## kawaii neko

Hi,,
Indonesia just have two season.. rainy season and drought season...
but in school we learn about other seasons outside indonesia..
spring = musim semi
summer = musim panas
autum = musim gugur
winter = musim dingin/musim salju


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## Gavril

kawaii neko said:


> Hi,,
> Indonesia just have two season.. rainy season and drought season...



A quick search suggests that in Indonesian, "rainy season" = _musim hujan_ and "dry season" = _musim kemarau_. Is this correct? Are any other terms used?


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## ThomasK

mundiya said:


> Hindi
> 
> basant/vasant or bahaar - spring
> 
> garmii or griishma - summer
> 
> sharad - autumn
> 
> sardii or jaaRaa - winter


Funnily (while searching for the etymology of the words) Wikipedia mentions six seasons: 


> The Hindu calendar contains six seasons (Vasant, Grishma, Varsha, *Sharad*, Hemant, Shishir) with two months each.


Can you comment on that?


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## Perseas

There is another thread with exactly the same subject which is still active. Perhaps both threads could be merged by moderators.


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## mundiya

ThomasK said:


> Funnily (while searching for the etymology of the words) Wikipedia mentions six seasons:
> Can you comment on that?



The four season format is common now.  Traditionally, the division was six seasons.


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## ThomasK

Thanks! Is there any way of commenting on the roots of those season names, older and more recent?


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## Grefsen

Holger2014 said:


> Swedish:
> 1 vår - spring
> 2 sommar - summer
> 3 höst - autumn
> 4 vinter - winter
> _höst_: _ö_ as i in _bird_ but shorter


The words used by Sweden's Scandinavian neighbor are almost the same. 

 Norwegian:

Spring - _vår_

Summer - _sommer_

Autumn/Fall - _høst_

Winter - _vinter_


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## Haitz

In basque:
              spring=udaberria
              summer=uda
              autumn=udazkena
              winter=negua
I don't know how did basques arranged the year some thousand years ago, but it is curious to know that, literally, udaberria (the spring) means "new summer" and udazkena (autumn) "the last summer". A year with just two seasons?


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## kusurija

Lithuanian: 
spring: pavasaris
summer: vasara
autumn: ruduo
winter: žiema


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## mundiya

mundiya said:


> The four season format is common now.  Traditionally, the division was six seasons.



Just to add, one could say there is a five season format because monsoon can be counted as a rainy season, which is called "maansuun" or "barsaat" in Hindi.


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## mundiya

ThomasK said:


> Thanks! Is there any way of commenting on the roots of those season names, older and more recent?



jaaRaa is of Hindi origin
garmii, sardii, bahaar are Persian
The rest are Sanskrit or modified Sanskrit


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## ThomasK

And something about their meanings?


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## mundiya

ThomasK said:


> And something about their meanings?



The words for summer, winter and rainy season mean heat, cold and rain, respectively.  For the rest, the season itself is the primary meaning.


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## Encolpius

I hope the next thread won't be the days of the week. 

Here is a nice list of seasons.


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