year [OE] This shares an ancient root with Greek höra ‘season, time’, source of horology [LME], ‘clockmaking’, horoscope [OE], and *hour. The term leap year, used from the 14th century, probably comes from the fact that in a leap year feast days after February fall two days of the week later than in the previous year, rather than the usual one day, and could be said to have ‘leaped’ a day.