augustus
[au̯ˈɡʊs.tʊs]
The English phrase "August" refers to the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, which in Latin is augustus. Wiktionary also lists sextilis.
Meaning: eighth month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| augustus | [au̯ˈɡʊs.tʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [au̯ˈɡus.tus] (narrow) |
|
| sextilis | [sɛkˈstiː.lɪs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [sekˈstiː.lis] (narrow) |
feminine, masculine |
The term is used to name the month of August. In a formal context, you may see the expression Mensis Augustus to mean "month of August".
What does it mean word for word?
The name augustus is derived from a root meaning "to increase" or "to grow", and carries the connotation of being majestic, venerable or sublime.
Which one should you use?
augustus is the name used in the later Roman calendar, whereas sextilis is the archaic or traditional name. sextilis means "the sixth", referring to the month's position in the old Roman calendar which began in March.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the genitive case, meaning "of August", use the form augusti. sextilis can be used as masculine or feminine.
Did you know?
- The shift from sextilis to augustus happened because the Roman Emperor Augustus wanted a month named after himself to balance the prestige of Julius Caesar's month, July.
- In Latin, the word augustus is closely related to the term augur, which referred to a priest who interpreted the will of the gods through the flight of birds. This connects the month's name to ancient religious authority.
- In the earliest Roman calendars, the month of augustus did not even exist as a named entity, as the year only had ten months.
Examples in context
- Ianuarius, Februarius, Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Iulius, Augustus, September, October, November, December sunt duodecim menses anni.January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December are the twelve months of the year.This sentence is useful for listing the names of the twelve months of the year, using augustus.Tatoeba #1500451 by alexmarcelo, translation #621957 by Eldad
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their travel plans for the summer.
- JuliaNum in Augusto iter faciemus?Will we travel in August?
- LuciusIta, in Augusto iter faciemus.Yes, we will travel in August.
- JuliaAugustus est mensis optimus.August is the best month.
- LuciusCerte, Julia.Certainly, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “August” translations and entries augustus, sextilis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries augustus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
