# Names for the days of the week

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 28, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842 "2001-03-28T16:09:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/41 "2001-04-03T02:36:16Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mongrel\_8 \*  
> \*\*I just wanted to pop back in a say how cool a topic this is. Now I am curious about what monthes, seasons, directions, etc. would be in other languages. Thank you for helping to cultivate my interest. \*\*

\*Where shall we begin? How about alphabetically, with Arabic?

**Months.** There are two sets of months in Arabic: the Islamic lunar calendar, and the solar calendar. The dates do not match up the same from year to year because the lunar year is only 354 days long (29½ days average lunation \* 12). It’s a wheel within a wheel: 33 lunar years fit into 32 solar years.

The lunar months:  
_muHarram  
Safar  
rabî‘ al-awwal  
rabî‘ al-thânî  
jumâdá al-ûlá  
jumâdá al-âkhirah  
rajab  
sha‘bân  
ramaDân  
shawwâl  
dhû al-qa‘dah  
dhû al-Hijjah_

We are currently (April 2, 2001) in the month of muHarram 1422 AH (Anno Hegirae). The new year began this time just last week, on March 26. Next year it begins on March 15. Moves back 11 or 10 days every year; goes all the way around in 33 cycles.

There are three sets of solar month names in Arabic, depending on what country you’re in.

1. In Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, & Iraq, the month names come from ancient Aramaic or Canaanite (and you can see their resemblance to some of the Hebrew months too):  
January: _kânûn al-thânî_  
February: _shubâT_  
March: _âdhâr_  
April: _nîsân_  
May: _ayyâr_  
June: _Hazîrân_  
July: _tammûz_  
August: _âb_  
September: _aylûl_  
October: _tishrîn al-awwal_  
November: _tishrîn al-thânî_  
December: _kânûn al-awwal_

2. In Egypt, Sudan, and the Arabian Peninsula, they simply use the (Arabicized) Latin names:  
_yanâyir  
fibrâyir  
mârs  
abrîl  
mâyû  
yûniyû  
yûliyû  
aghusTus  
sibtambir  
uktûbir  
nûfimbir  
disimbir_

3. In the former French colonies of North Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, & Mauritania), they use the French names, Arabicized. (I’ve heard that in Libya Colonel Mu‘ammar al-Qadhdhâfî has made up a whole new set of month names out of his imagination, but we can ignore those.)

**Seasons**.  
Spring: _rabî‘_  
Summer: _Sayf_  
Autumn: _kharîf_  
Winter: _shitâ’_

**Directions.**  
North: _shimâl_  
South: _janûb_  
East: _sharq_ (Sun’s rising)  
West: _gharb_ (Sun’s setting)

Now aren’t you glad you asked? 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/42 "2001-04-03T03:17:53Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.**  
January: _yi yue_ (One Moon)  
February: _er yue_ (Two Moon)  
March: _san yue_ (Three Moon)  
April: _si yue_ (Four Moon)  
May: _wu yue_ (Five Moon)  
June: _liu yue_ (Six Moon)  
July: _qi yue_ (Seven Moon)  
August: _ba yue_ (Eight Moon). Teahouse of the August Moon: _ba yue cha she_  
September: _jiu yue_ (Nine Moon)  
October: _shi yue_ (Ten Moon)  
November: _shi yi yue_ (Eleven Moon)  
December: _shi er yue_ (Twelve Moon).

How boring can you get? :rolleyes: I wonder what the months of the traditional Chinese calendar were.

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _chun_  
Summer: _xia_  
Autumn: _qiu_  
Winter: _dong_.

**Directions.**  
North: _bei_  
South: _nan_  
East: _dong_  
West: _xi_.

[sub]NB: the _dong_ of winter and the _dong_ of east are two different characters, although they have the identical first tone.[/sub]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/43 "2001-04-03T03:35:36Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Teahouse of the August Moon: _ba yue cha she_

I know that John Patrick’s play was set on Okinawa, but it just seemed like fun to say it in Chinese. Anyway, I sure don’t know how to say it in Ryukyuan.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/44 "2001-04-03T03:41:32Z")

</div>

In Japanese, would that be _hachi-gatsu no tsuki no cha ie_?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/45 "2001-04-03T04:54:09Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.** In Finnish, the month names are refreshingly original and lovely, evocative of nature.

January: _tammikuu_ (Oak Moon)  
February: _helmikuu_ (Pearl Moon)  
March: _maaliskuu_  
April: _huhtikuu_  
May: _toukokuu_ (Sowing Moon)  
June: _kesäkuu_ (Summer Moon)  
July: _heinäkuu_ (Hay Moon)  
August: _elokuu_ (Grain Moon)  
September: _syyskuu_ (Late Summer Moon)  
October: _lokakuu_ (Mud Moon)  
November: _marraskuu_  
December: _joulukuu_ (Yule Moon).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find translations for some of them. Any Finns here can help us out?

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _kevät_  
Summer: _kesä_ or _suvi_  
Autumn: _syksy_  
Winter: _talvi_.

**Directions.**  
North: _pohjoinen_ (from _pohja_ ‘bottom’?)  
South: _etelä_ (related to _ete-_ ‘forward, ahead’?)  
East: _itä_ (from _itä-_ ‘germinate, sprout’?)  
West: _länsi_.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/46 "2001-04-03T05:32:08Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.** Hebrew like Arabic has names for lunar months. The Jewish year anciently started around the spring equinox. Now it starts around the autumnal equinox. Wonder why they switched. The Jewish calendar runs on a 19-year cycle and they intercalate a 13th month every few years so as to keep the months roughly coordinate with the solar seasons.

September/October: _tishri_  
October/November: _HeshVan_  
November/December: _kisléV_  
December/January: _Tévét_  
January/February: _shevaT_  
February/March: _adar_  
March/April: _nisan_  
April/May: _iyar_  
May/June: _siVan_  
June/July: _tammuz_  
July/August: _av_  
August/September: _élul_.

For the Gregorian calendar, Hebrew just uses the Latin months, Hebraicized: _yanuar, februar, marts, april, ma’y, yuni, yuli, avgusT, sepTember, oKTober, november, detsember_. Obviously borrowed via German/Yiddish.

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _aviv_ (related to _év_ ‘young sprout’, _aviv_ ‘green corn’)  
Summer: _Kayits_  
Autumn: _seta_  
Winter: _Horef_

**Directions.**  
North: _tsefon_ (place of [sun’s] hiding)  
South: _darom_ (\<?) or _negev_ (dryness)  
East: _mizraH_ (place of sunrise) or _Kedem_ (front)  
West: _ma‘arav_ (place of sunset).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/47 "2001-04-03T05:48:39Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.** Nothing special here: just the Latin months. _január, február, március, április, május_, etc. Hungarians, being Roman Catholics, used a lot of Latin over the centuries.

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _tavasz_  
Summer: _nyár_ (related to Turkish _yaz_)  
Autumn: _õsz_  
Winter: _tél_.

**Directions.**  
North: _észak_ (related to _éjszaka_ ‘night’)  
South: _dél_ (midday)  
East: _kelet_ (rising up)  
West: _nyugat_ (settling down).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/48 "2001-04-03T06:43:45Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.** The Lithuanian month names are, like the Finnish, totally original, unique, and lovely — expressive of nature.  
January: _sausis_ (dry)  
February: _vasaris_ (\<Proto-Indo-European \*wesr-, related to Persian _bahâr_, Sanskrit _vasanta_, Latin _ver_ ‘spring’)  
March: _kovas_ (struggle, battle — of rams?)  
April: _balandis_ (dove)  
May: _geguZe_ (cuckoo)  
June: _birZelis_ (exchange; woodcutting?)  
July: _liepa_ (linden)  
August: _rugpiûtis_ (harvest reaping)  
September: _rugséjis_ (harvest sowing)  
October: _spalis_ (colorful)  
November: _lapkritis_ (leaves falling)  
December: _gruodis_ (frozen soil).

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _pavasaris_ (before summer)  
Summer: _vasara_ (see _vasaris_ above)  
Autumn: _ruduo_ (red/brown)  
Winter: _Ziema_ (from Proto-Indo-European \*ghim- ‘winter’, related to Russian _zima_ ‘winter’, Persian _zim_ ‘cold’, Sanskrit _hima_ ‘cold, frost’ [cf. _Himalaya_]).

**Directions.**  
North: _šiaure_  
South: _pietûs_  
East: _rytai_ (\< _rytas_ ‘morning’)  
West: _vakarai_ (\< _vakaras_ ‘evening’.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/49 "2001-04-03T07:38:35Z")

</div>

\ ***Months.** The Persian year begins at the Spring Equinox, and the months are coordinated with the signs of the Zodiac. The names come from the names of Zoroastrian angels in the ancient Avestan language.

Aries (March 21-April 20): _farvardin_ (The Door Opener)  
Taurus (April 21-May 21): _ordibehesht_  
Gemini (May 22-June 21): _khordâd_  
Cancer (June 22-July 22): _tir_  
Leo (July 23-August 22): _mordâd_  
Virgo (August 23-September 22): _shahrivar_  
Libra (September 23-October 22): _mehr_ (Sun; Kindness \< _mithra_)  
Scorpio (October 23-November 21): _âbân_ (Waters)  
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21): _âzar_  
Capricorn (December 22-January 20): _day_  
Aquarius (January 21-February 19): _bahman_ (\<_vohu mana_ ‘Good Mind’)  
Pisces (February 20-March 20): _esfand(yâr)_ (\<_spenta_ ‘Sacred, Holy’).

Afghanistan follows the same calendar, but the month names there are really cool: the actual names of the Zodiac signs, in Arabic.

Aries: _Hamal_  
Taurus: _sawr_ (Arabic _thawr_\*)  
Gemini: _taw’am_ or _jawzâ_  
Cancer: _saraTân_  
Leo: _asad_  
Virgo: _sunbulah_  
Libra: _mîzân_  
Scorpio: _‘aqrab_  
Sagittarius: _qaws_  
Capricorn: _jadî_  
Aquarius: _dalw_  
Pisces: _samak_

\*_Taurus_ is either a very old loanword from Arabic to Indo-European, or a Nostratic cognate.

For the Gregorian calendar, modern Iran uses the French months: _zhânviyeh, fevriyeh, mârs_, etc.

**Seasons.**  
Spring: _bahâr_ (\<Proto-Indo-European \*wesr-)  
Summer: _tâbestan_ (Abode of Heat)  
Autumn: _pâ’iz_  
Winter: _zemestân_ (Abode of Cold).

**Directions.**  
Modern Persian uses the Arabic names: _shemâl, janub, sharq, gharb_. But in poetic Persian there is the word _khâvar_ for ‘west’ which (confusingly) poets use to mean ‘east’! And the word _bâkhtar_ (source of the name _Bactria_) is the same, but reversed! Go figure.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Timchik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Timchik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timchik)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/50 "2001-04-03T08:23:12Z")

</div>

[tangent]Jomo Momo, you are either the world’s greatest linguist or you have entirely too much time on your hands.[/tangent]

As I said earlier, Russian months aren’t so interesting:  
Yanvar,Fevral, Mart, Aprel, Mai, Iyun, Iyul, Avgust, Sintyabr, Oktyabr, Noyabr, Dekabr

the seasons:  
Spring: vesna  
Summer: leto  
Fall: osen’  
Winter: zima

directions:  
North: sever  
South: yug  
East: vostok - rel. to voskhod (sunrise)?  
West: zapad - rel. to padat’ (to fall) - sunset?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Timchik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Timchik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timchik)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/51 "2001-04-03T08:27:17Z")

</div>

preview preview preview

That should, of course, have been

> [@](#):
>
> **Jomo Mojo** , you are either the world’s greatest linguist or you have entirely too much time on your hands

My apologies

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/52 "2001-04-03T18:23:17Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \*  
> \*\*[snip]
> 
> **xtnjohnson** , _dômo arigatô gozaimasu_ — I had looked up the Japanese names but didn’t know how to explain them. This is perhaps the most interesting set of meanings yet. The Sun and Moon matching the other systems (probably via Buddhism from India, originally Babylonian), plus the five elements of Chinese cosmology: Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth. The Japanese use “Gold” to stand for Metal. Nice. So I guess the traditional Chinese names must have followed this pattern, and the modern numerical names are a Red Chinese reform? I gotta ask my acupuncturist about this! I noticed that _sui_ for ‘Water’ is a Chinese _on kanji_ word; aren’t these all _on_ Chinese words in Japanese?\*\*

I haven’t my dictionary so I’m afraid I can’t confirm, but I think most are (I’m hesitant mainly because of _moku_). (For other folks: in Japanese, the Chinese characters, or Kanji, generally have at least two readings. One is “kun-yomi,” or “native Japanese,” and the other is “on-yomi,” or “Chinese-style,” whether or not it bears the slightest resemblance to any modern Chinese language. Since the Kanji arrived in Japan ca. 550 CE, a lot may have changed. Wildly overgeneralizing, the kun-yomi tend to be longer than the on-yomi - as mentioned, the water character takes “sui” as one of its on-yomi, and “mizu” as one of its kun-yomi.)

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \*  
> \*\*In Japanese, would that be _hachi-gatsu no tsuki no cha ie_? \*\*

My guess is, probably not. The Japanese cultural bias seems to be to use older, Chinese-style compounds for literary titles. Sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what they might come up with.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/53 "2001-04-07T02:03:59Z")

</div>

\***Months (_mâsa_).** Each of the months in the Hindu lunar calendar is named for the position of the full moon in that month—so the name is for the part of the sky opposite to the sun’s position. The sky is divided into 27 or 28 _nakShatra_s, mansions of the moon.

March/April: _caitra_ (Bright, clear; full moon in the 12th lunar mansion, the asterism citrâ, Spica Virginis)  
April/May: _vaiSâkha_ (Branched; full moon in the 14th lunar mansion, the asterism viSâkhâ, in Libra)  
May/June: _jyaiShTha_ (Most excellent; full moon in the 16th lunar mansion, the asterism jyeShThâ)  
June/July: _âShâDha_ (Invincible; full moon in the 18th lunar mansion, the asterism aShâDhâ)  
July/August: _SrâvaNa_ (Lame; full moon in the 21st lunar mansion, the asterism SravaNa, in Aquila)  
August/September: _bhâdrapada_ (Auspicious-footed; full moon in the 24th lunar mansion, the asterism bhadrapada, in Aquila)  
September/October: _âSvina_ (Horse Rider; full moon in the 27th lunar mansion, the asterism aSvinî, head of Aries)  
October/November: _kârttika_ (Cutter; full moon in the 1st lunar mansion, the asterism k.rttikâ, the Pleiades—the six k.rttikâ were the nurses of Karttikeya, god of war; as they offered him their six breasts he became six-faced)  
November/December: _âgrahâyaNa_ (Beginning of the Year; full moon in the 3rd lunar mansion, the asterism âgrahâyaNî, in Orion)  
December/January: _pauSha_ (Flower; full moon in the 6th lunar mansion, the asterism puShya)  
January/February: _mâgha_ (Gift; full moon in the 8th lunar mansion, the asterism maghâ)  
February/March: _phâlguna_ (Red; full moon in the 10th lunar mansion, the asterism phalguni)

**Seasons (_.rtu_).** The ancient Hindu year was considered to have six seasons of two months each.  
_vasanta_ (Spring—caitra & vaiSâkhâ, March-May)  
_grîShma_ (Hot season—jyaiShTha & âShâDha, May-July)  
_varShâs_ (Rainy season—SrâvaNa & bhâdrapada, July-September)  
_Sarad_ (Autumn—âSvina & kârttika, September-November)  
_hemanta_ (Winter—âgrahâyaNa & pauSha, November-January)  
_SiSira_ (Cool season—mâgha & phâlguna, January-March).

**Directions.**  
North: _uttara_ (Up)  
South: _dakShina_ (Right hand; cf. Latin cognate _dexter_)  
East: _pûrva_ (Front)  
West: _paScima_ (Behind)  
The Sanskrit directions clearly show you literally “oriented,” facing east. Instead of saying “left hand” for north, they say “up” because of the Himalaya to the north.

The Hindi months are corrupted versions of the Sanskrit names:  
March/April: _cait_  
April/May: _baisâkh_  
May/June: _jeTh_  
June/July: _âsâRh_  
July/August: _sâvan_  
August/September: _bhâdom_  
September/October: _kvâr_  
October/November: _kârttik_  
November/December: _agahan_  
December/January: _pûs_  
January/February: _mâgh_  
February/March: _phâgun_

The Vedic language is at the deepest level of antiquity of a recorded Indo-European language. Vedic months went in pairs, as there were six seasons in the Vedic year. For example, _madhu_ and _madhava_ form the season of _vasanta_. These very archaic names were used later by poets in the Classical Sanskrit period.  
March/April: _madhu_ (Sweet; Honey, Mead)  
April/May: _mâdhava_ (relating to _madhu_)  
May/June: _Sukra_ (Bright, Clear)  
June/July: _Suci_ (Shining, Pure)  
July/August: _nabhas_ (Mist)  
August/September: _nabhasya_ (Misty)  
September/October: _iSha_ (Juicy, Fertile)  
October/November: _ûrja_ (Vigorous)  
November/December: _sahas_ (Powerful)  
December/January: _sahasya_ (Mighty)  
January/February: _tapas_ (Austerity)  
February/March: _tapasya_ (Austere)

Sanskrit solar months are, as in Afghanistan, named after the signs of the Zodiac. All of them have the same meaning as the familiar Latin names, except for _makara_, which means a water monster, rather than Capricorn the Sea-Goat.  
Aries: _meSha_  
Taurus: _v.rShabha_  
Gemini: _mithuna_  
Cancer: _karkaTa_  
Leo: _simha_  
Virgo: _kanyâ_  
Libra: _tulâ_  
Scorpio: _v.rScika_  
Sagittarius: _dhanus_  
Capricorn: _makara_  
Aquarius: _kumbha_  
Pisces: _mîna_.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/54 "2001-04-07T02:51:04Z")

</div>

\***Months (_mâcam_).** The Tamil months are solar; some of the names are Tamilized versions of the Sanskrit names, but most are native Tamil names. Each of these begins about the 11th or 12th of the corresponding English month, so that it includes most of that month, and part of the next. To each of the months is allotted one of the 27 asterisms.  
April: _cittirai_  
May: _vaikâci_  
June: _âni_  
July: _âTi_  
August: _âvaNi_  
September: _puraTTâci_  
October: _aippaci_  
November: _kârttikai_  
December: \*mârkali \*  
January: _tai_  
February: _mâci_  
March: _pankuni_

The Tamil Zodiac:  
Aries: _môttai_  
Taurus: _iTapam_  
Gemini: _pâTavai_ or _iraTTai_  
Cancer: _cêkkai_ or _ârmati_ or _karkkaTakam_  
Leo: _puli_ or _cîyam_ or _ari_ (oddly, _ari_ is also the Hebrew name for Leo!)  
Virgo: _kanni_ or _terivai_  
Libra: _niruppân_  
Scorpio: _têL_  
Sagittarius: _câpam_  
Capricorn: _makararâci_  
Aquarius: _kuTam_  
Pisces: _mîn_ (word for fish, of Tamil origin, borrowed by Sanskrit).

**Seasons (_paruvam_).** The six seasons of the year in Tamil are:  
_kâr_ (Cloudy—August/September)  
_kûtir_ (Cold—October/November)  
_munpani_ (Evening Dew—December/January)  
_pinpani_ (Morning Dew—February/March)  
_iLavênil_ (Milder Hot season [Spring]—April/May)  
_mutirvênil_ (Really Hot season—June/July).

**Directions (_ticai_).**  
North: _vaTakku_ (from _vaTa_, northern)  
South: _terku_ (from _ten_, southern)  
East: _kilakku_ (from _kîlê_, ‘down’)  
West: _mêrku_ (from _mêLê_, ‘up’; cf. _mêl_, ‘sky’).  
Tamil Nadu is bounded on the east by the ocean and on the west by mountains, which makes it clear why for them East is “down” and West is “up.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/55 "2001-04-07T15:41:52Z")

</div>

\***Months (_aylar_).** The Turkish months are an odd mixture of native Turkish names with Arabic and Latin names.  
January: _Ocak_ (Hearth) (T)  
February: _,Subat_ (A)  
March: _Mart_ (L)  
April: _Nisan_ (A)  
May: _Mayïs_ (L) or _Akdiken_ (Hawthorn)(T)  
June: _Haziran_ (A)  
July: _Temmuz_ (A)  
August: _AGustos_ (L)  
September: _Eylûl_ (A)  
October: _Ekim_ (Sowing) (T) or _Birinci Te,srin_ (First Teshrin) (T/A)  
November: _Kasïm_ (T) or _Ikinci Te,srin_ (Second Teshrin) (T/A)  
December: _Aralïk_ (Space in Between—referring to its position as the interval between the old year & the new) (T).

**Seasons (_mevsimler_).**  
Spring: _ilk bahar_ (_Ilk_ is an Turkish old word for ‘first’; the word _bahar_ is from Persian. Compare Italian & Spanish _prima-vera_, Lithuanian _pirma pavasari_, all using the word for ‘first’ with Spring).  
Summer: _yaz_  
Autumn: _son bahar_ (_Son_ is the Turkish word for ‘final’)  
Winter: _kï,s_.

**Directions.**  
North: _kuzey_ (from an archaic Turkish word meaning ‘the northern or shadowy side of a mountain’) or _,simal_ (A) or _yïldïz_ (Turkish for ‘star’, i.e. Polaris)  
South: _güney_ (from _gün_, ‘the Sun, day’)  
East: _doGu_ (from the verb meaning ‘to be born’)  
West: _batï_ (from the verb meaning ‘to sink’).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2001, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/56 "2001-04-07T16:29:26Z")

</div>

This is certainly an interesting thread. As a hijack, one thing I love to ask fundamentalist Christian groups who approach me on the street is if they know the date. When they say “Saturday, April 7th” or whatever, I point out they just invoked the names of two pagen gods!

I once heard a Jehovah’s Witness state that her religion forbade “working on Sunday.” Hmmmmm…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/57 "2001-04-08T00:02:31Z")

</div>

Walt Whitman used numerical month names to be actually _more_ poetic instead of less poetic. For April he said “Fourth-Month.” I 'specks he was evoking the spirit of old Americana this way. Wasn’t it the Quakers who had tried to eliminate pagan mythology from the English language by using these numerical names for the months? Maybe Whitman’s proximity to Philadelphia influenced him to pick up a Quaker type of expression.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/58 "2001-04-08T00:38:14Z")

</div>

In Spanish:

Days of the week:

domingo-the first day of the week-day of the Lord(domine, domini, not sure of spelling)-Sunday  
lunes- Monday  
martes- Mars day- Tuesday  
miércoles-Mercury’s day-Wednesday  
jueves- Thursday  
viernes- Friday  
sábado- Saturday

Months:

enero- January  
febrero- February  
marzo- March  
abril- April  
mayo- May  
junio- June  
julio- July  
agosto- August  
septiembre/setiembre- September(it can be written both ways)  
octubre- October  
noviembre- November  
diciembre- December

Seasons:

primavera- Spring  
verano- Summer  
otoño- Autumn/Fall  
invierno- Winter

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/59 "2001-04-08T01:13:44Z")

</div>

Montreiano follows similar patterns to the other Romance languages (at least Iberian):

Months:

January - Janairo  
February - Feuraio  
March - Março  
April - Auriu  
May - Maio  
June - Juñio  
July - Juuio  
August - Agosto  
September - Septèmbre  
October - Oçure  
November - Nouèmbre  
December - Dicèmbre

Seasons:

Spring - primauera  
Summer - verano  
Fall - otoñio  
Winter - invèrno

Directions:

North - nort  
South - sur  
East - ést  
West - oést

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842/60 "2001-04-10T14:54:44Z")

</div>

\***Days of the week (_laethanta na seachtaine)_.**  
Sunday: _Domhnach_  
Monday: _Luan_  
Tuesday: _Máirt_  
Wednesday: _Céadaoin_  
Thursday: _Déardaoin_  
Friday: _Aoine_  
Saturday: _Satharn_  
So for Saturday through Tuesday, the Irish borrowed Latin names. But for Wednesday through Friday, they use Irish names.

**Months (_míonna_).**  
January: _Eanáir_  
February: _Feabhra_  
March: _Márta_  
April: _Aibreán_  
May: _Bealtaine_ (from Proto-Celtic \*_belo-te§ina_, ‘bright fire’, from Proto-Indo-European \*bhel- ‘bright’, related to blue, blaze, blond, flame, black; and Proto-Indo-European \*tep- ‘warm’, related to Latin _tepere_ ‘to be warm’, Persian _tâb_ ‘sunshine’, Sanskrit _tapas_ ‘heat’, Irish _teas_ ‘heat’)  
June: _Meitheamh_ (from _meith_ ‘fat, rich, fertile’?)  
July: _Iúil_  
August: _Lúnasa_ (something to do with dancing? Or ancient Celtic god Lugh)  
September: _Méan Fómhair_ (Mid-Autumn)  
October: _Deireadh Fómhair_ (End of Autumn)  
November: _Samhain_ (from _sámh_ ‘rest, sleep, dream’?)  
December: _mí na Nollag_ (Month of Christmas)  
January through April, plus July, have names borrowed from Latin. But the rest have Irish names. Recognize Beltane and Samhain? You thought those were just Wiccan festivals? Good Catholics in Ireland use the names too.

**Seasons (_séasúr_).**  
Spring: _earrach_  
Summer: _samhradh_ (from Proto-Indo-European \*sem- or \*samos ‘summer, year’, related to Sanskrit \*samâ/i] ‘year’, English summer)  
Autumn: _fómhar_  
Winter: _geimhreadh_ (from Proto-Indo-European \*ghim- ‘cold’, related to Lithuanian _Ziema_, Russian _zima_, Persian _zemestân_, Sanskrit _hemanta_, ‘winter’)

**Directions.**  
North: _tuaisceart_ (from _tuathal_, ‘left hand, against the sun’)  
South: _deisceart_ (from _deis_, ‘right hand, with the sun’, related to Latin _dexter_, Sanskrit _dakShiNa_, from Proto-Indo-European \*deks-)  
East: _oirthear_ (related to Irish _éirí_ ‘to rise, sunrise’, Latin _oriri_ ‘to rise’, from Proto-Indo-European _er- ‘to set in motion’, related to English are, river, run)  
West: iarthar (from iar- 'after, back, behind, later_).

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842.md?page=2)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-the-days-of-the-week/59842.md?page=4)