The leaves are beginning to turn here in Upstate New York and the morning temperatures are chilly.
It is fall…or do you call it autumn?
There is quite a bit of history and discussion regarding the creation and usage of the terms. We found a fitting answer on dictionary.com:
The word fall comes from the Old English word feallan which means “to fall or to die.” Over time, the phrase was shortened to fall. “Fall of the leaf” is a little clunky to use in common parlance.
Surprisingly, we don’t really know where the word autumn comes from. It was used as far back at the 1300s (by Chaucer), and Shakespeare often used the word, as in Midsummer Night’s Dream when one character describes the cycle of the year, “The spring, the summer, the childing autumn, angry winter.” However, etymologists have not determined its precise origin.
As English spread to the New World, the common season names split as well. The use of the word fall fell out of favor in England.
Today, American English uses the word fall, while British English uses autumn almost exclusively. Fall provides a nice foil to its opposite season, spring, and gives us the helpful reminder, “Spring ahead, fall back,” when we get confused about our clocks on daylight savings.
We love this season. Apple picking, pumpkins in the yard and scary Halloween decorations add to the feel of fall. We know this is a time when companies start to reflect on the year past and look forward to new goals and changes for the upcoming year. It is the time we find the most interaction and inquiries from our clients and new prospects.
If you are looking to start a new business and need a website, or if your current website and materials need a fresh new look, reach out to us and let’s talk about some options for a new you in 2019.
As we say in New York, Happy fall!
Bonus Fun fact: The names of the seasons are considered common nouns not proper nouns and do not require capitalization.
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