Definition of the word March

The word "March" has its roots in ancient Roman history. The Roman month "Martius" was named after the god of war, Mars. The Latin word "Mars" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mar-", which means "to burn" or "to glow", likely due to the reddish appearance of Mars, the planet. As the month associated with Mars, Martius was considered a time of war and conflict. The Roman calendar originally had only 10 months, but to accommodate the increase in population and commerce, the Romans added January and February at the beginning of the year. To maintain the integrity of the calendar, the Roman Senate decided to insert a new month between February and the original summer solstice, which became March. The English word "March" is a direct derivative of the Latin "Martius", and has retained its association with war and conflict to this day.