Changes

Before the 16th century, [[harvest]] was the term usually used to refer to the [[season]]. However, as more people [[gradually]] moved from [[working]] the land to living in towns (especially those who could [[read]] and [[write]],  the only people whose use of [[language]] we now know), the word harvest lost its [[reference]] to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual [[activity]] of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.

Before the 16th century, [[harvest]] was the term usually used to refer to the [[season]]. However, as more people [[gradually]] moved from [[working]] the land to living in towns (especially those who could [[read]] and [[write]],  the only people whose use of [[language]] we now know), the word harvest lost its [[reference]] to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual [[activity]] of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.

The [[alternative]] word fall is now mostly a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_English North American] [[English]] word for the [[season]]. It traces its [[origins]] to old [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages Germanic languages]. The exact derivation is unclear, the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] fiæll or feallan and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse_language Old Norse] fall all being possible [[candidates]]. However, these [[words]] all have the [[meaning]] "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common [[root]] or from each other. The term came to denote the [[season]] in 16th century [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England England], a contraction of [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] [[expressions]] like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".

The [[alternative]] word fall is now mostly a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_English North American] [[English]] word for the [[season]]. It traces its [[origins]] to old [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages Germanic languages]. The exact derivation is unclear, the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] fiæll or feallan and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse_language Old Norse] fall all being possible [[candidates]]. However, these [[words]] all have the [[meaning]] "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common [[root]] or from each other. The term came to denote the [[season]] in 16th century [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England England], a contraction of [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] [[expressions]] like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".

During the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_century 17th century], [[English]] emigration to the colonies in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America North America] was at its peak, and the new settlers took their [[language]] with them. While the term fall [[gradually]] became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America, where autumn is nonetheless preferred in [[scientific]] and often in [[literary]] [[contexts]].

During the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_century 17th century], [[English]] emigration to the colonies in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America North America] was at its peak, and the new settlers took their [[language]] with them. While the term fall [[gradually]] became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America, where autumn is nonetheless preferred in [[scientific]] and often in [[literary]] [[contexts]].