The first of the twelve months of the year was known throughout most of Middle-earth as Narvinyë, but the calendars used in the Shire and in Bree had their own traditional names for the months. In most of the Shire, Narvinyë was known as 'Afteryule', but in parts of the Eastfarthing, and especially in Bree, the name 'Frery' was used. This old form seems to be derived from the word for 'cold', an appropriate name for the month following midwinter.
Notes
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The Bree-landers' month-name 'Frery' seems reminiscent of modern 'February', which is also a cold month at the beginning of the year, and perhaps Tolkien intended this connection on a phonetic level. The names themselves, however, have quite different origins. Modern 'February' derives from Latin februarius mensis, the 'month of purification', and has no etymological connection to the Old English roots of 'Frery'.
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- Updated 19 October 2022
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