Hello there! As an expert in linguistics and the history of the English language, I'm delighted to delve into the fascinating topic of why we spell February with an "R" despite its common pronunciation as "Febuary" without the "R" sound. This is a great example of how language evolves over time and how spelling can sometimes lag behind pronunciation changes.

The spelling of "February" can be traced back to its Latin roots, where the month was known as "Februarius mensis," named after a purification festival called "Februa" that was held in mid-February. The Romans, who were meticulous record keepers, used this spelling and it was passed down through the ages.

When the Normans invaded England in 1066, they brought with them the Old French language, which heavily influenced the development of Middle English. "February" in Old French was spelled "fevrie," which was a phonetic adaptation of the Latin "Februarius." The Normans, however, pronounced it with a soft "r" sound, which was a feature of Old French pronunciation.

As English evolved and the Great Vowel Shift occurred (a major change in pronunciation that affected long vowels in English between the 14th and 18th centuries), the pronunciation of "r" in "February" began to change. The "r" became silent or was pronounced very lightly in many dialects of English, leading to the common pronunciation of "Febuary."

The spelling, however, remained. This is a common phenomenon in languages where spelling conventions are conservative and slow to change. Spelling often reflects the etymology of a word rather than its current pronunciation. This is why we still see words like "through," "though," and "thought" spelled with a "gh" that is not pronounced.

Moreover, the "r" in "February" might have been kept in the spelling to maintain a visual distinction from other months that end in "y" like "May" and "July." Removing the "r" from the spelling could have led to confusion.

It's also worth noting that language is a social construct, and the way we speak is influenced by the people around us. If a majority of speakers in a community pronounce "February" without the "r," that pronunciation becomes the norm. This is a form of linguistic drift, where language changes gradually over time due to common usage.

In conclusion, the "r" in "February" is a vestige from its Latin origin, modified by Old French pronunciation, and preserved in spelling despite changes in pronunciation. It's a testament to the complex and fascinating ways in which language evolves.

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The r in February has been dropped so that it is almost always pronounced Febuary-Cwithout the r. Perhaps this is because placing the r sound in the word makes it slightly more difficult to pronounce, and since laziness tends to get the upper hand when we speak, Febuary has become the common pronunciation.read more >>