卯月「うづき」

弥生とは　旧暦4月の異称

卯月は卯の花（ウツギのの白い花）がさく季節なので、「卯の花月」の略とする説が有力とされる。

また、卯月の「う」は「初」「産」を意味する「う」で、一年の循環の最初を意味したとする説もある。

その他、稲を植える月で「植月」が転じたとする説もあるが、皐月の語源と近く、似た意味から別の月名がつけられることは考え難い。

十二支の４番目が「卯」であることから、干支を月に当てはめ「卯月」になったとする説もあるが、他の月で干支を当てた例がないため不自然である。

仮に、４月だけ干支が当てられたとしても、月に当てられる十二支は１月から順ではなく、旧暦の４月は「巳」で、「卯」は旧暦２月である。そのため、「卯月」を「ぼうげつ」と読むと、旧暦２月の異称となる。（語源由来辞典より）

Uzuki is the season when the white flowers of Utsugi flowers bloom, so the most likely theory is that it is an abbreviation for ``Unohanagetsu.''

There is also a theory that the ``u'' in Uzuki means ``first'' and ``childbirth,'' and that it signified the beginning of the cycle of the year.

There is also a theory that ``Uetsuki'' was changed from the month when rice is planted, but it is close to the etymology of ``Satsuki'', and it is difficult to imagine that another month name would be given because of the similar meaning.

Since the fourth of the zodiac is ``Uzuki'', there is a theory that the zodiac sign was assigned to the month and it became ``Uzuki'', but this is unnatural as there is no example of assigning the zodiac sign to any other month.

Even if the zodiac signs are assigned only in April, the zodiac signs assigned to each month are not in the order starting from January; the Snake is assigned to April in the lunar calendar, and the Rabbit is assigned to February in the lunar calendar. Therefore, when ``Uzuki'' is read as ``Bōgetsu,'' it becomes another name for February in the lunar calendar.