September

The word “September” means the ninth month of the year, between August and October, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. In plain terms, the month that comes after August.

“September” is pronounced sehp-TEHM-buh (/sɛpˈtɛmbɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “September” used in a sentence: “School usually starts again in September.”

“September” is a noun.

The word “September” comes from Latin. From Latin September, based on septem ("seven") — it was the seventh month in the old Roman calendar before January and February were added to the start of the year.

“September” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

The name comes from the Latin word 'septem', meaning seven, because September was the seventh month in the early Roman calendar, which began in March. When January and February were later added to the start of the year, the month shifted to ninth position, but its old number-based name stuck.

In the Northern Hemisphere, September marks the start of autumn, as days shorten and temperatures cool. In the Southern Hemisphere the opposite is true — it begins spring. The autumn equinox, when day and night are roughly equal, falls around 22 or 23 September.

September covers two star signs. Virgo runs until about the 22nd, and Libra begins around the 23rd and continues into October. So people born early in the month are Virgos, while those born later are Libras, with the exact cut-off shifting slightly from year to year.

The traditional birthstone for September is the sapphire, usually prized in its deep blue form, though sapphires occur in other colours too. Its birth flowers are the aster and the morning glory. These symbols make September birthdays easy to mark with themed gifts.