Many people know that the months of the year have a rather distinctive Roman flair. Thanks, Julio-Claudian calendar! March is a particularly interesting month. Meteorologically, sure. Also Etymologically.
The oldest words out there are from the oldest human experiences. Which sadly include war.
The name comes from the Latin Martius meaning Month of Mars. Mars of course was the God of War, no doubt getting the name from the blood red color of Mars, the planet this time, in the night sky. Various other words spin off. Martial, as in military or fighting generally such as martial arts. But neither Martini the drink nor Martini the rifle trace back to Mars. Those stories are...complicated.
But what about Marching? Surely the most martial of activities?
Well, not exactly. It seems to come from the French word marche, meaning boundary. Prior to that it goes back to Frankish times, when French and Germans were kindred peoples and languages. The sense of a boundary is preserved to some extent. For instance the ill defined area where England adjoins those pesky Welch is referred to as The Welch Marches.
That of course is exactly the sort of place your army would have to visit regularly and sometimes in haste. So by the early 15th century the French had another word marcher, meaning to "stride, march, to trample underfoot". It's probably derived from marche, but neither Mars nor his Red Planet have anything to do with it.
Although in keeping in the spirit of things, the official symbol of Wales is a Red Dragon, with the color likely influenced by the long, bloody wars along the Welch Marches.
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