As its etymology indicates, December is formed from the Latin root decem- which means “ten” … but December is our twelfth month.

Is Decem a Greek or Latin root?

Dec- comes from the Greek déka, meaning “ten.” The word December is related to this root via the Latin equivalent, decem. In fact, what is now the twelfth month of the year was once the tenth month of the early Roman calendar.

Where does the word December originate from?

December got its name from the Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originally the tenth month of the year in the calendar of Romulus c.