🎸 “Nothing lasts forever… even November rain.”

The seasonal anthem from Guns N’ Roses is surely on many people’s playlists this time of year. But have you ever wondered where the word November actually comes from? Across most of the world’s languages, it traces back to Latin novem (meaning nine) a leftover from the ancient Roman calendar when November was the ninth month of the year.

But not every culture followed Rome’s lead. Some places gave this month names that reflect what people saw, felt, or feared as the seasons turned. In Polish, Czech, and Lithuanian, November is Listopad or Lapkritis literally meaning “leaf fall.” In Finnish, it’s Marraskuu, the “month of the dead.” The Welsh call it Tachwedd, meaning “slaughtering,” a nod to the livestock culling before winter.

The old Germanic world had Nebelmonat, “fog month,” while in Old Norse it was Ýlir, the “Yule month,” marking the coming of winter festivals. In Turkish, Kasım means “division,” the time when the year split between summer and winter. Each name offers a tiny poem about the world before modern calendars standardized time.

What’s striking is how much these words reveal about local life: the cold setting in, the leaves falling, the year’s last harvests, the rituals of death and remembrance. While Latin’s November is mathematical, other languages made it emotional, rooted in the land, the weather, and the rhythm of survival.

Together they tell a shared human story: November is the month of transition between light and dark, work and rest, life and reflection. No wonder it’s always felt a little wistful, a little beautiful, and perfectly suited for songs about rain.