Austrian Dialect: Feber (February)
Winter's nearly over with this rare word for the second month
The month of Carnival/Fat Tuesday (Faschingsdienstag), Valentine’s Day, and crocuses popping their purple heads up: welcome to Feber (February) in the Alps.
A linguistic trim on winter’s shortest month, this is the quirky history of Feber. While the standard German term Februar harks back to the Latin Februarius, meaning “purification,” in parts of Austria (particularly in the Alps and rural southern and eastern regions) speakers have long favored the snappier Feber. Some Austrians have simply cut the extra syllable to keep things lean, in a kind of historical New Year’s linguistic dieting.
Over time, the term found its niche in everyday spoken language, mostly in rural areas like Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and Burgenland. However, in formal settings, the full Februar remains the preferred term. Whereas official sources will use the distinctly Austro-Bavarian special term Jänner for January, I have never seen a letter, calendar, or other source here using the term “Feber.” I may’ve heard it once or twice, but this name is slowly giving way to standard German’s Februar.
Not to be confused with Fieber (fever) or Leber (liver), or Leberfieber (fever of the liver; I surely hope that doesn’t exist!), Feber is a welcome addition to cozy conversations on the Austrian countryside.
Linguistically speaking, this is a classic case of syncope, where sounds or syllables are dropped to simplify pronunciation. It’s similar to how we say “Febuary” in English, and not “FebRuary.” Or “Wensday” instead of “Wednesday.” In German and in English, these skipped-over sounds are often ones that repeat in short order. So both languages elide the extra “r” from the month’s name, and not some other non-repeated sound.
Feber also improved the rhythm of the monthly roll call alongside Jänner for January. However, while older generations and locals might throw Feber around like a secret code, the term’s usage in print remains relatively rare. So rare, in fact, that some Austrians mistakenly think it’s a foreign import rather than a native linguistic evolution, if you look on message boards and linguistics sites covering this topic. Not all Austrians have fallen in love with the term, just as not all Austrians would love this heart sushi below for that other Feber favorite, Valentine’s Day.
Feber is the linguistic equivalent of trimming the fat off a hearty meal: it’s efficient and tailored to local tongues, even if the formal institutions insist on keeping the fattier, fuller name Februar on record.
Feber! Cool article.