Synonymous Words and Regional Changes

• Fall and autumn are synonymous for describing the season of the year that lies between summer and winter. However, historically, early English settlers in the Americas brought the term "fall" into the American dialect while the population of English speakers who remained in England began to use "autumn" to describe the seasonal change from summer to winter. According to Home Preschool, there are also regional schools of thought that individuals who live in the Northeastern U.S. divide the season into two mini-seasons: autumn, which describes the ending of summer and the changing of the leaves, and fall, which describes the time before winter, when all the leaves have fallen and the temperature is cooler.
  
  

Etymology of "Fall"

• According to Daily Writing Tips, "fall" derives from an Old English verb that describes the falling of leaves and may originate with Old Norse words such as "fiaell" or "faellan." During the 16th century, the word "fall" began to be used as a noun to mean the season in which the leaves fell from trees. The transition of populations from agricultural communities to urban centers during the late Middle Ages led to a shift away from using the word "harvest," which had formerly been used to describe the third season of the year.
  
  

Etymology of "Autumn"

• The word "autumn" is somewhat more mysterious in its origin but is believed by etymologists to have been derived from an Old French or Gallic word "autompne," which eventually was normalized into the Latin word "autumnus." According to Harvard University, the Middle English version of the word "autumn" began to be used as early as the 1300s, becoming more common during the 1500s.
  
  

Autumnal or Fall Equinox

• The Autumnal Equinox occurs in late September, when the sun crosses the equator and moves into the southern hemisphere, allowing Earth's axis to be angled perpendicularly to the sun. Although it is not exactly equal, the time of daylight compared to night is generally about 12 hours each. Historically, the precession of the equinoxes is accredited to the Ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician Hipparchus, who lived during the middle second century B.C.E. Different cultures celebrate specific components of their history during the fall equinox, including Jewish culture, which recognizes Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and the Ancient Greeks, who believed that Persephone returned to live in the underworld with Hades on the date of the equinox.