The Year Does Not Divide Evenly Into Days
A year is one orbit of the earth around the sun. Leap years exist to absorb the leftover.
A year is the time the earth takes to orbit the sun. It is about 365.2422 days, which is why the calendar needs leap years: adding one day every four years overcorrects slightly, so century years are skipped unless divisible by 400. That is why 1900 was not a leap year and 2000 was. *Year* is Old English *gear*, related to German *Jahr* and to Greek *horos*, a season, which also gives *hour*.
- One orbit. *A calendar year.*
- A period of twelve months. *Next year.*
- Leap year. *A leap year.*
- Yearly. *A yearly review.*
- Old English — *gear*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | year | A year. |
| Plural | years | Years. |
| Adjective | yearly | Yearly. |
| Compound | leap year | A leap year. |
| German | Jahr | A year. |
- It took a whole year.Time.
- 1900 was not a leap year.Calendar.
- Gear is the Old English form.Etymology.
The leap year rule
- Every year divisible by 4 is a leap year
- Except years divisible by 100
- Unless also divisible by 400
- So 1900 was not, but 2000 was
- The rule keeps the calendar accurate for thousands of years
Old English *gear*, of Germanic origin, related to German *Jahr* and Greek *horos*.
Why do we need leap years?
Because a year is about 365.2422 days. Adding a day every four years corrects the drift, with century exceptions to avoid overcorrecting.
Why was 2000 a leap year but not 1900?
Century years are skipped unless divisible by 400. 2000 qualifies; 1900 did not.