FEBRUARY


Meaning of FEBRUARY in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē, ˈfe-brə- ]

noun

( plural -ar·ies or -ar·ys )

Etymology: Middle English Februarie, from Old English Februarius, from Latin, from Februa, plural, feast of purification

Date: before 12th century

: the second month of the Gregorian calendar

Usage:

Dissimilation may occur when a word contains two identical or closely related sounds, resulting in the change or loss of one of them. This happens regularly in February, which is more often pronounced ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē than ˈfe-brə-ˌwer-ē, though all of these variants are in frequent use and widely accepted. The y heard from many speakers is not an intrusion but rather a common pronunciation of the vowel u after a consonant, as in January and annual.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.