The history of the German names of months has been elucidated by Weinhold and for the Alemannic district by the work of Ebner, who bases his researches upon extensive information collected among the people. As early as the time of Charlemagne a German series of months had been created in order to bring the Julian months more closely home to the people, so that the list was based largely upon a popular foundation. The names are:--_Wintarmânoth_, _Hornunc_, _Lenzinm._, _Ostarm._, _Wunnim._, _Brâchm._, _Hewim._, _Aranm._, _Witum._, _Windumem._, _Herbistm._, _Heilagm._ This series attained great influence, but did not become universal; on the contrary it was subjected to alteration under the pressure of the agricultural terms. In spite of this early attempt at unity the German names for the months shew once more the variety and fluctuation with which the reader is now sufficiently familiar. A special interest attaches to the fact that the sources make it possible to follow how the names of months arise from the simple terms for the seasons. On this point Weinhold says, p. 2:--“In our sources the general statement _in der erne_ (‘in the harvest’) preponderates over the month-name _ernemanot_ (‘harvest-month’); _im brâchet_ (‘in the fallow’), _im höuwet_ (‘in the hay-harvest’) hold their own alongside of _brâch-_ and _höu-monat_ (‘fallow-, hay-month’), _im wimmot_ (‘in the vintage’) persists, since _windumemânot_ (‘vintage-month’) had long since died out. From the phrases _in der sât_, _in dem snite_ (‘in the sowing’, ‘in the cutting’) are painfully evolved a _sâtmân_ and a _schnitmonat_ (‘sowing-, cutting-month’). We find autumn and winter as names of months, and also the non-German _augst_, divided into three; we can see the uncertainty with which _laubbrost_ and _laubrîse_ (‘sprouting and falling of the leaves’) contract into names of months.” Accordingly the above list shews that alongside the names compounded with ‘month’ the simple terms from seasons and occupations of the year are frequently found as names for the months. March = _Lenz_ (spring), June = _Brachet_ (fallow), July = _Heuet_ (hay-harvest), August = _Arne_ (harvest), September = _Bonenarve_, _Hanfluchet_, _erst Herbst_, _Herbstsaat_, _Überherbst_, _Laeset_ (_Lesezeit_) (bean-harvest, hemp-gathering, first autumn, autumn-sowing, late autumn, harvest time), October = _ander Herbst_, _Herbst_, _Laupreisi_ (second autumn, autumn, leaf-fall), December = _ander Winter_. Of great significance is the state of affairs found in the Alemannic sources of the 14th century[996]; side by side with the compound forms the simple often appear, but always as definite names of months. Towards the end of the century they then begin to have a loose connexion with the conception ‘month’, e. g. _brachot der manod_ (‘fallow the month’). This shews the method by which these names have become names of months, and Ebner judges the process quite correctly when he says that the definite names of months