In many languages, the names given to the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astronomy, which were in turn named after contemporary deities, a system introduced by the Sumerians and later adopted by the Babylonians from whom the Roman Empire adopted the system during late antiquity.[1] In some other languages, the days are named after corresponding deities of the regional culture, beginning either with Sunday or with Monday. The seven-day week was adopted in early Christianity from the Hebrew calendar, and gradually replaced the Roman internundinum.[citation needed]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Italian_-_Bracelet_-_Walters_41269.jpg/400px-Italian_-_Bracelet_-_Walters_41269.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Heptagram_of_the_celestial_bodies_of_the_weekdays.png/220px-Heptagram_of_the_celestial_bodies_of_the_weekdays.png)
Sunday remained the first day of the week, being considered the day of the sun god Sol Invictus and the Lord's Day, while the Jewish Sabbath remained the seventh. Emperor Constantine adopted the seven-day week for official use in 321 AD, making the Day of the Sun (dies Solis, "Sunday") a legal holiday.[2]
In the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is treated as the first day of the week, but in many countries it is counted as the second day of the week.
Days named after planets
editGreco-Roman tradition
editBetween the first and third centuries AD, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. The earliest evidence for this new system is a Pompeiian graffito referring to 6 February (ante diem viii idus Februarias) of the year 60 AD as dies solis ("Sunday").[3] Another early witness is a reference to a lost treatise by Plutarch, written in about 100 AD, which addressed the question of: "Why are the days named after the planets reckoned in a different order from the 'actual' order?"[4] The treatise is lost, but the answer to the question is known; see planetary hours.[citation needed]
The Ptolemaic system of planetary spheres asserts that the order of the heavenly bodies from the farthest to the closest to the Earth is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon; objectively, the planets are ordered from slowest to fastest moving as they appear in the night sky.[5]
The days were named after the classical planets of Hellenistic astrology, in the order: Sun (Helios), Moon (Selene), Mars (Ares), Mercury (Hermes), Jupiter (Zeus), Venus (Aphrodite), and Saturn (Cronus).[6]
The seven-day week spread throughout the Roman Empire in late antiquity. By the fourth century AD, it was in wide use throughout the Empire. [citation needed]
The Greek and Latin names are as follows:
Day: (see Irregularities) |
Sunday Sōl or Helios (Sun) |
Monday Luna or Selene (Moon) |
Tuesday Mars or Ares (Mars) |
Wednesday Mercurius or Hermes (Mercury) |
Thursday Jove or Zeus (Jupiter) |
Friday Venus or Aphrodite (Venus) |
Saturday Saturnus or Cronus (Saturn) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greek[7] | ἡμέρα Ἡλίου hēméra Hēlíou |
ἡμέρα Σελήνης hēméra Selḗnēs |
ἡμέρα Ἄρεως hēméra Áreōs |
ἡμέρα Ἑρμοῦ hēméra Hermoû |
ἡμέρα Διός hēméra Diós |
ἡμέρα Ἀφροδίτης hēméra Aphrodítēs |
ἡμέρα Κρόνου hēméra Krónou |
Latin | diēs Sōlis | diēs Lūnae | diēs Mārtis | diēs Mercuriī | diēs Iovis | diēs Veneris | diēs Sāturnī |
Romance languages
editExcept for in Portuguese, Galician and Mirandese, the Romance languages preserved the Latin names, except for the names of Sunday, which was replaced by [dies] Dominicus (Dominica), that is, "the Lord's Day", and of Saturday, which was named for the Jewish Sabbath. Mirandese and Portuguese use numbered weekdays (see below), but retain sábado and demingo/domingo for weekends.[8]
Celtic languages
editEarly Old Irish adopted the names from Latin, but introduced separate terms of Norse origin for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then later supplanted these with terms relating to church fasting practices.
Adoptions from Romance
editAlbanian adopted the Latin terms for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, adopted translations of the Latin terms for Sunday and Monday, and kept native terms for Thursday and Friday. Other languages adopted the week together with the Latin (Romance) names for the days of the week in the colonial period. Several constructed languages also adopted the Latin terminology.
Day: (see Irregularities) |
Sunday Sōl (Sun) |
Monday Luna (Moon) |
Tuesday Mars (Mars) |
Wednesday Mercurius (Mercury) |
Thursday Iuppiter (Jupiter) |
Friday Venus (Venus) |
Saturday Saturnus (Saturn) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albanian | e diel | e hënë | e martë | e mërkurë | e enjte | e premte | e shtunë |
Filipino | Linggó [☉1] | Lunes | Martes | Miyerkoles | Huwebes or colloquially Webes | Biyernes | Sabado [♄1] |
Chamorro | Damenggo | Lunes | Mattes | Metkoles | Huebes | Betnes | Sabalu |
Māori[18] | Rā Tapu [not celestially named] (rā + tapu = "holy day") | Rāhina (rā + Māhina = day + Moon) | Rātū (rā + Tūmatauenga = day + Mars) | Rāapa (rā + Apārangi = day + Mercury) | Rāpare (rā + Pareārau = day + Jupiter) | Rāmere (rā + Mere = day + Venus) | [Rā Horoi] [not celestially named] (rā + horoi = "washing day") |
Uropi | Soldia | Lundia | Mardia | Mididia | Zusdia | Wendia | Sabadia |
Universalglot | diodai | lundai | mardai | erdai | jovdai | vendai | samdai |
Neo | Domin(ko) | Lundo | Tud | Mirko | Jov | Venso | Sab |
Idiom Neutral | soldi | lundi | marsdi | merkurdi | yovdi | vendrdi | saturndi |
Reform-Neutral | soldí | lundí | marsdí | mercurdí | jovdí | vendredí | saturndí |
ApI Interlingua | sol-die | luna-die | marte-die | mercurio-die | jove-die | venere-die | sabbato, saturno-die |
Interlingua | dominica [☉1] | lunedi | martedi | mercuridi | jovedi | venerdi | sabbato [♄1] |
Interlingue | soledí | lunedí | mardí | mercurdí | jovedí | venerdí | saturdí |
Lingua Franca Nova | soldi | lundi | martedi | mercurdi | jovedi | venerdi | saturdi |
Mondial | soldi | lundi | mardi | mierdi | jodi | vendi | samdi |
INTAL | sundi | lundi | mardi | merkurdi | jodi | venerdi | saturdi |
Novial | sundie | lundie | mardie | mercurdie, merkurdie (older) | jodie | venerdie | saturdie |
Romániço | Domínico | Lun-dio | Marti-dio | Mercurii-dio | Jov-dio | Véner-dio | Sábato |
Ido | sundio | lundio | mardio | merkurdio | jovdio | venerdio | saturdio |
Esperanto | dimanĉo [☉1] | lundo | mardo | merkredo | ĵaŭdo | vendredo | sabato [♄1] |
With the exception of sabato, the Esperanto names are all from French, cf. French dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi.
Germanic tradition
editThe Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans by substituting the Germanic deities for the Roman ones (with the exception of Saturday) in a process known as interpretatio germanica. The date of the introduction of this system is not known exactly, but it must have happened later than 100 AD but before the introduction of Christianity during the 6th to 7th centuries, i.e., during the final phase or soon after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.[19] This period is later than the Common Germanic stage, but still during the phase of undifferentiated West Germanic. The names of the days of the week in North Germanic languages were not calqued from Latin directly, but taken from the West Germanic names.
- Sunday: Old English Sunnandæg (pronounced [ˈsunnɑndæj]), meaning "sun's day". This is a translation of the Latin phrase diēs Sōlis. English, like most of the Germanic languages, preserves the day's association with the sun. Many other European languages, including all of the Romance languages, have changed its name to the equivalent of "the Lord's day" (based on Ecclesiastical Latin dies Dominica). In both West Germanic and North Germanic mythology, the Sun is personified as Sunna/Sól.
- Monday: Old English Mōnandæg (pronounced [ˈmoːnɑndæj]), meaning "Moon's day". This is equivalent to the Latin name diēs Lūnae. In North Germanic mythology, the Moon is personified as Máni.
- Tuesday: Old English Tīwesdæg (pronounced [ˈtiːwezdæj]), meaning "Tiw's day". Tiw (Norse Týr) was a one-handed god associated with single combat and pledges in Norse mythology and also attested prominently in wider Germanic paganism. The name of the day is also related to the Latin name diēs Mārtis, "Day of Mars" (the Roman god of war).
- Wednesday: Old English Wōdnesdæg (pronounced [ˈwoːdnezdæj]) meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden (known as Óðinn among the North Germanic peoples), and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons (and other Germanic peoples) in England until about the seventh century. This corresponds to the Latin counterpart diēs Mercuriī, "Day of Mercury", as both are deities of magic and knowledge. The German Mittwoch, the Low German Middeweek, the miðviku- in Icelandic miðvikudagur and the Finnish keskiviikko all mean "mid-week".
- Thursday: Old English Þūnresdæg (pronounced [ˈ
θ uːnrezdæj]), meaning 'Þunor's day'. Þunor means thunder or its personification, the Norse god known in Modern English as Thor. Similarly Dutch donderdag, German Donnerstag ('thunder's day'), Finnish torstai, and Scandinavian torsdag ('Thor's day'). "Thor's day" corresponds to Latin diēs Iovis, "day of Jupiter" (the Roman god of thunder). - Friday: Old English Frīgedæg (pronounced [ˈfriːjedæj]), meaning the day of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Frīg. The Norse name for the planet Venus was Friggjarstjarna, 'Frigg's star'.[20] It is based on the Latin diēs Veneris, "Day of Venus".
- Saturday: named after the Roman god Saturn associated with the Titan Cronus, father of Zeus and many Olympians. Its original Anglo-Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg (pronounced [ˈsæturnezdæj]). In Latin, it was diēs Sāturnī, "Day of Saturn". The Nordic laugardagur, leygardagur, laurdag, etc. deviate significantly as they have no reference to either the Norse or the Roman pantheon; they derive from Old Nordic laugardagr, literally "washing-day". The German Sonnabend (mainly used in northern and eastern Germany) and the Low German Sünnavend mean "Sunday Eve"; the German word Samstag derives from the name for Shabbat.
Day: (see Irregularities) |
Sunday Sunna/Sól |
Monday Mona/Máni |
Tuesday Tiw/Tyr |
Wednesday Woden/Odin |
Thursday Thunor/Thor |
Friday Frige or Freya |
Saturday Saturn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Old English | Sunnandæg | Mōnandæg | Tīwesdæg | Wōdnesdæg | Þunresdæg | Frīgedæg | Sæternesdæg |
Old Saxon | Sunnundag | *Mānundag | *Tiuwesdag *Thingesdag[♂1] | Wōdanesdag | *Thunaresdag | Frīadag | *Sunnunāƀand,[♄3] *Satarnesdag |
Old High German | Sunnûntag | Mânetag | Zîestag | Wuotanestag | Donarestag | Frîjatag | Sunnûnâband,[♄3] Sambaztag[♄1] |
Middle Low German | Sunnedag | Manedag | Dingesdag [♂1] | Wodenesdag | Donersdag | Vrīdag | Sunnenavend,[♄3] Satersdag |
German | Sonntag | Montag | Dienstag,[♂1] Ziestag (Alemannic German) | Mittwoch[☿1] (older Wutenstag) | Donnerstag | Freitag | Samstag,[♄1] Sonnabend,[♄3] (in parts of Eastern Germany) |
Yiddish | Zuntik – זונטיק | Montik – מאנטיק | Dinstik – דינסטיק[♂1] | Mitvokh – מיטוואך[☿1] | Donershtik – דאנערשטיק | Fraytik – פרײַטיק | Shabbes – שבת[♄1] |
Luxembourgish | Sonndeg | Méindeg | Dënschdeg[♂1] | Mëttwoch[☿1] | Donneschdeg | Freideg | Samschdeg[♄1] |
Scots | Saubath,[♄1] Sunday | Monanday | Tysday | Wadensday | Fuirsday | Friday | Seturday |
Dutch | zondag | maandag | dinsdag[♂1] | woensdag | donderdag | vrijdag | zaterdag |
Afrikaans | Sondag | Maandag | Dinsdag[♂1] | Woensdag | Donderdag | Vrydag | Saterdag |
Low German | Sünndag | Maandag | Dingsdag[♂1] | Middeweek,[☿1] Goonsdag (rarely Woonsdag) | Dünnerdag | Freedag | Sünnavend,[♄3] Saterdag |
West Frisian | snein | moandei | tiisdei | woansdei | tongersdei | freed | sneon,[♄3] saterdei |
Saterland Frisian | Sundai | Moundai | Täisdai | Middewíek | Tuunsdai | Fräindai | Snäivende, Sneeuwende |
Heligoland North Frisian |
Sendai | Mundai | Taisdai | Meddeweeken | Tünnersdai | Fraidai | Senin |
Amrum/Föhr North Frisian |
söndai | mundai | teisdai | wäärnsdei (Amrum), weedensdai (Föhr) | süürsdai (Amrum), tüürsdai (Föhr) | freidai | söninj-er, saninj-er |
Sylt North Frisian | Sendai | Mondai | Tiisdai | Winjsdai | Türsdai | Friidai | Seninj-en |
Wiedingharde North Frisian |
sändäi | mundäi, moondai | tee(s)däi-e | wjinsdäi | tördäi-e, türdai-e | fraidäi | sänjin-e |
Mooring North Frisian | saandi | moundi | täisdi | weensdi | törsdi | fraidi | saneene |
Karrharde North Frisian |
sandäi | moundäi | täi(er)sdäi | weene(s)dai, weensdai | tönersdäi | fräidäi | saneene |
Northern Goesharde North Frisian | saandi (Ockholm), sandi (Langenhorn) | moondi (Ockholm), moundi (Langenhorn) | teesdi (Ockholm), täisdi (Langenhorn) | weensdi (Ockholm), winsdi (Langenhorn) | tünersdi | fraidi | saneene |
Halligen North Frisian | sondii | mööndii | taisdii | maaderwich | tonersdii | fraidii | soneene |
Icelandic | sunnudagur | mánudagur | þriðjudagur[♂3] | miðvikudagur[☿1] | fimmtudagur[♃3] | föstudagur[♀1] | laugardagur[♄2] |
Old Norse | sunnudagr | mánadagr | tysdagr | óðinsdagr | þórsdagr | frjádagr | laugardagr,[♄2] sunnunótt[♄3] |
Faroese | sunnudagur | mánadagur | týsdagur | mikudagur,[☿1] ónsdagur (Suðuroy) | hósdagur, tórsdagur (Suðuroy) | fríggjadagur | leygardagur[♄2] |
Nynorsk Norwegian | sundag/søndag | måndag | tysdag | onsdag | torsdag | fredag | laurdag[♄2] |
Bokmål Norwegian | søndag | mandag | tirsdag | onsdag | torsdag | fredag | lørdag[♄2] |
Danish | søndag | mandag | tirsdag | onsdag | torsdag | fredag | lørdag[♄2] |
Swedish | söndag | måndag | tisdag | onsdag | torsdag | fredag | lördag[♄2] |
Elfdalian | sunndag | mondag | tisdag | ųosdag | tųosdag | frjådag | lovdag |
Adoptions from Germanic
editDay (see Irregularities) |
Sunday Sunna/Sól |
Monday Mona/Máni |
Tuesday Tiw/Tyr |
Wednesday Woden/Odin |
Thursday Thunor/Thor |
Friday Frige or Freya |
Saturday Saturn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finnish | sunnuntai | maanantai | tiistai | keskiviikko[☿1] | torstai | perjantai | lauantai[♄2] |
Meänkieli | pyhä(päivä), sunnuntai | maanantai | tiistai | keskiviikko | tuorestai | perjantai | lau(v)antai |
Kven | pyhä, sunnuntai | maanantai | tiistai | keskiviikko | tuorestai | perjantai | lauvantai |
Southern Sami | aejlege | måanta | dæjsta | gaskevåhkoe | duarsta | bearjadahke | laav(v)adahke |
Ume Sami | ájliege | mánnuodahkka | dïjstahkka | gasskavahkkuo | duarastahkka | bierjiedahkka | lávvuodahkka |
Pite Sami | ájlek | mánnodak | dijstak | gasskavahko | duorasdak | bärrjedak | lávvodak |
Lule Sami | sådnåbiejvve, ájllek | mánnodahka | dijstahka | gasskavahkko | duorastahka | bierjjedahka | lávvodahka |
Northern Sami | sotnabeaivi | vuossárga, mánnodat | maŋŋebárga, disdat | gaskavahkku | duorastat | bearjadat | lávvardat, lávvordat |
Inari Sami | pasepeivi | vuossargâ | majebargâ | koskokko | tuorâstâh, turâstâh | vástuppeivi | lávárdâh, lávurdâh |
Skolt Sami (for comparison) |
pâʹsspeiʹvv | vuõssargg | mââibargg | seärad | neljdpeiʹvv | piâtnâc, väʹšnnpeiʹvv, västtpeiʹvv | sueʹvet |
Māori (transliteration; translation) |
Wiki;[☉8] Rātapu | Mane; Rāhina | Tūrei; Rātū | Wenerei; Rāapa | Tāite; Rāpare | Paraire; Rāmere | Hāterei; Rāhoroi |
Volapük | sudel | mudel | tudel | vedel | dödel | fridel | zädel |
Hindu tradition
editHindu astrology uses the concept of days under the regency of a planet[clarification needed] under the term vāsara/vāra, the days of the week being called sūrya-/ravi-, chandra-/soma-, maṅgala-, budha-, guru-/bṛhaspati-, śukra-, and śani-vāsara. śukrá is a name of Venus (regarded as a son of Bhṛgu); guru is here a title of Bṛhaspati, and hence of Jupiter; budha "Mercury" is regarded as a son of Soma, that is, the Moon.[21] Knowledge of Greek astrology existed since about the 2nd century BC[citation needed], but references to the vāsara occur somewhat later, during the Gupta period (Yājñavalkya Smṛti, c. 3rd to 5th century AD), that is, at roughly the same period or before the system was introduced in the Roman Empire.[citation needed]
In languages of the Indian subcontinent
editSunday the Sun (Sūrya, Ravi, Bhānu) |
Monday the Moon (Chandra, Indu, Soma) |
Tuesday Mars (Mangala) |
Wednesday Mercury (Budha) |
Thursday Jupiter (Bṛhaspati, Guru) |
Friday Venus (Shukra) |
Saturday Saturn (Shani) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angika | 𑂉𑂞𑂥𑂰𑂩/𑂩𑂸𑂥 Etbaar/Rôb |
𑂮𑂷𑂧𑂰𑂩 Somaar |
𑂧𑂁𑂏𑂪 Mangal |
𑂥𑂳𑂡 Budh |
𑂥𑂹𑂩𑂵𑂮𑂹𑂣𑂞 Brespat |
𑂮𑂳𑂍𑂹𑂍𑂳𑂩 Sukkur |
𑂮𑂢𑂱𑂒𑂹𑂒𑂩 Sanichchar |
Assamese | দেওবাৰ/ৰবিবাৰ Deubar/Robibar |
সোমবাৰ Xombar |
মঙ্গলবাৰ Monggolbar |
বুধবাৰ Budhbar |
বৃহস্পতিবাৰ Brihôshpotibar |
শুক্রবাৰ Xukrobar |
শনিবাৰ Xonibar |
Balti | Adeed عدید |
Tsandar چَندار |
Angaru انگارو |
Botu بوتو |
Brespod بریس پود |
Shugoru شوگورو |
Shingsher شنگشر |
Bengali | রবিবার/সূর্যবার Robibar/Śurjobar |
সোমবার/চন্দ্রবার Śōmbar/Chandrabār |
মঙ্গলবার Moṅgolbar |
বুধবার Budhbar |
বৃহস্পতিবার/গুরুবার Brihośpotibar/Gurubār |
শুক্রবার/জুম্মাবার Śukrobar/Jummabar[♀4] |
শনিবার Śonibar |
Bhojpuri | एतवार Aitwār |
सोमार Somār |
मंगर Mangar |
बुध Budh |
बियफे Bi'phey |
सुक्क Sukk |
सनिच्चर Sanichchar |
Burushaski | Adit اَدِت |
Tsandurah ژَندُرَہ |
Angāro اَنگارو |
Bodo بودو |
Birēspat بِریسپَت |
Shukro شُکرو |
Shimshēr شِمشیر |
Chitrali (Khowar) |
Yakshambey یک شمبے |
Doshambey دو شمبے[☽4] |
Seshambey سہ شمبے |
Charshambey چار شمبے |
Pachambey پچھمبے |
Adina آدینہ [♀3] |
Shambey شمبے |
Gujarati | રવિવાર Ravivār |
સોમવાર Somvār |
મંગળવાર Mangaḷvār |
બુધવાર Budhvār |
ગુરૂવાર Guruvār |
શુક્રવાર Shukravār |
શનિવાર Shanivār |
Hindi | रविवार/सूर्यवार Ravivār/Sūryavār |
सोमवार/चन्द्रवार Somvār/Chandravār |
मंगलवार Mangalvār |
बुधवार Budhavār |
गुरुवार Guruvār |
शुक्रवार Shukravār |
शनिवार Shanivār |
Hindko | Atwaar اتوار |
Suwar سؤ وار |
Mungal منگل |
Bud بدھ |
Jumiraat جمعرات |
Jummah جمعہ |
Khali خالي |
Hmar | Pathienni | Thawṭanni | Thawleni | Nilaini | Ningani | Zirtawpni | Inrinni |
Kannada | ಭಾನುವಾರ Bhanu Vaara |
ಸೋಮವಾರ Soma Vaara |
ಮಂಗಳವಾರ Mangala Vaara |
ಬುಧವಾರ Budha Vaara |
ಗುರುವಾರ Guru Vaara |
ಶುಕ್ರವಾರ Shukra Vaara |
ಶನಿವಾರ Shani Vaara |
Kashmiri | آتھوار /aːtʰwaːr/ |
ژٔنٛدرٕوار /t͡səndrɨwaːr/ |
بوموار/ بۄنٛوار /boːmwaːr/ or /bɔ̃waːr/ |
بۄدوار /bɔdwaːr/ |
برَٛسوار/ برٛؠسوار /braswaːr/ or /brʲaswaːr/ |
شۆکُروار/ جُمعہ /ʃokurwaːr/ or /jumaːh/ |
بَٹہٕ وار /baʈɨwaːr/ |
Konkani | आयतार Āytār |
सोमार Somaar |
मंगळार Mangaḷār |
बुधवार Budhavār |
भीरेस्तार Bhirestār |
शुक्रार Shukrār |
शेनवार Shenvār |
Maithili | 𑒩𑒫𑒱𑒠𑒱𑒢 Ravidin |
𑒮𑒼𑒧𑒠𑒱𑒢 Somdin |
𑒧𑓀𑒑𑒪𑒠𑒱𑒢 Maṅgaldin |
𑒥𑒳𑒡𑒠𑒱𑒢 Budhdin |
𑒥𑒵𑒯𑒮𑓂𑒣𑒞𑒲𑒠𑒱𑒢 Brihaspatidin |
𑒬𑒳𑒏𑓂𑒩𑒠𑒱𑒢 Śukradin |
𑒬𑒢𑒲𑒠𑒱𑒢 Śanidin |
Malayalam | ഞായര് Nhāyar |
തിങ്കള് Tingal |
ചൊവ്വ Chovva |
ബുധന് Budhan |
വ്യാഴം Vyāzham |
വെള്ളി Velli |
ശനി Shani |
Maldivian | އާދީއްތަ Aadheeththa |
ހޯމަ Hoama |
އަންގާރަ Angaara |
ބުދަ Budha |
ބުރާސްފަތި Buraasfathi |
ހުކުރު Hukuru |
ހޮނިހިރު Honihiru |
Marathi | रविवार Ravivār |
सोमवार Somavār |
मंगळवार Mangaḷavār |
बुधवार Budhavār |
गुरूवार Guruvār |
शुक्रवार Shukravār |
शनिवार Shanivār |
Meitei (Manipuri) | ꯅꯣꯡꯃꯥꯏꯖꯤꯡ Nongmaijing |
ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧꯀꯥꯕ Ningthoukaba |
ꯂꯩꯄꯥꯛꯄꯣꯛꯄ Leipakpokpa |
ꯌꯨꯝꯁꯀꯩꯁ Yumsakeisa |
ꯁꯒꯣꯜꯁꯦꯟ Sagolsen |
ꯏꯔꯥꯢ Eerai |
ꯊꯥꯡꯖ Thangja |
Nepali | आइतवार Aaitabar |
सोमवार Sombar |
मंगलवार Mangalbar |
बुधवार Budhabar |
बिहिवार Bihibar |
शुक्रवार Sukrabar |
शनिवार Sanibar |
Odia | ରବିବାର Rabibāra |
ସୋମବାର Somabāra |
ମଙ୍ଗଳବାର Maṅgaḷabāra |
ବୁଧବାର Budhabāra |
ଗୁରୁବାର Gurubāra |
ଶୁକ୍ରବାର Sukrabāra |
ଶନିବାର Sanibāra |
Pashto | Etwar يونۍ |
Gul دوه نۍ |
Nehi درېنۍ |
Shoro څلرنۍ |
Ziarat پنځه نۍ |
Jumma جمعه |
Khali پيلنۍ |
Punjabi (Gurmukhi) |
ਐਤਵਾਰ Aitvār |
ਸੋਮਵਾਰ Sōmvār |
ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ Mangalvār |
ਬੁੱਧਵਾਰ Buddhvār |
ਵੀਰਵਾਰ Vīrvār |
ਸ਼ੁੱਕਰਵਾਰ Shukkarvār or ਜੁਮਾ Jumā |
ਸ਼ਨਿੱਚਰਵਾਰ Shaniccharvār or ਸ਼ਨੀਵਾਰ |
Punjabi (Shahmukhi) |
Aitwār ایتوار |
Somvār سوموار |
Mangalvār منگلوار |
Buddhvār بدھوار |
Vīr vār ویر وار |
Jumāh جمعہ or
Shukkarvār شکروار |
Hafta ہفتہ or
Chanicchar چھنچھر or Chaniccharvār چھنچھروار |
Rohingya | rooibar | cómbar | mongolbar | buidbar | bicíbbar | cúkkurbar | cónibar |
Santali | ᱥᱤᱸᱜᱮ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ sim̐ge māhām̐ |
ᱚᱛᱮ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ ate māhām̐ |
ᱵᱟᱞᱮ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ bāle māhām̐ |
ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱩᱱ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ sôgun māhām̐ |
ᱥᱟᱹᱨᱫᱤ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ sôrdi māhām̐ |
ᱡᱟᱹᱨᱩᱢ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ jôrum māhām̐ |
ᱧᱩᱦᱩᱢ ᱢᱟᱦᱟᱸ ñuhum māhām̐ |
Sanskrit | भानुवासर Bhānuvāsara |
इन्दुवासर Induvāsara |
भौमवासर Bhaumavāsara |
सौम्यवासर Saumyavāsara |
गुरुवासर Guruvāsara |
भृगुवासर Bhṛguvāsara |
स्थिरवासर Sthiravāsara |
Shina | Adit ادیت |
Tsunduro تساند ورؤ |
Ungaro نگارو |
Budo بوڈو |
Brespat بیرے سپاٹ |
Shukur شوکر |
Shimsher شیم شےر |
Sindhi | Ācharu آچَرُ or Ārtvāru آرتوارُ |
Sūmaru سُومَرُ |
Angāro اَنڱارو or Mangalu مَنگلُ |
Arbā اَربع or Budharu ٻُڌَرُ |
Khamīsa خَميِسَ or Vispati وِسپَتِ |
Jum'o جُمعو or Shukru شُڪرُ |
Chancharu ڇَنڇَرُ or Śanscharu شَنسچَرُ |
Sinhala | ඉරිදා Irida |
සඳුදා Sanduda |
අඟහරුවාදා Angaharuwada |
බදාදා Badada |
බ්රහස්පතින්දා Brahaspathinda |
සිකුරාදා Sikurada |
සෙනසුරාදා Senasurada |
Sylheti | ꠞꠂꠛ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ Roibbar |
ꠡꠝ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ Shombar |
ꠝꠋꠉꠟ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ Mongolbar |
ꠛꠥꠗ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ Budhbar |
ꠛꠤꠡꠥꠗ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ Bishudhbar |
ꠡꠥꠇ꠆ꠇꠥꠞ꠆ꠛꠣꠞ/ ꠎꠥꠝ꠆ꠝꠣꠛꠣꠞ Shukkurbar/Jummabar[♀4] |
ꠡꠘꠤꠛꠣꠞ Shonibar |
Tamil | ஞாயிறு Ñāyiṟu |
திங்கள் Tiṅkaḷ |
செவ்வாய் Cevvāy |
புதன் Putaṉ |
வியாழன் Viyāḻaṉ |
வெள்ளி Veḷḷi |
சனி Caṉi |
Telugu | ఆదివారం Aadi Vāram |
సోమవారం Soma Vāram |
మంగళవారం Mangala Vāram |
బుధవారం Budha Vāram |
గురువారం Guru Vāram |
శుక్రవారం Sukra Vāram |
శనివారం Sani Vāram |
Urdu | Itwār اتوار |
Pīr پیر[☽4] |
Mangal منگل |
Budh بدھ |
Jumerāt جمعرات |
Jum'ah جمعہ[♀4] |
Haftah ہفتہ [♄6] |
Southeast Asian languages
editThe Southeast Asian tradition also uses the Hindu names of the days of the week. Hindu astrology adopted the concept of days under the regency of a planet under the term vāra, the days of the week being called āditya-, soma-, maṅgala-, budha-, guru-, śukra-, and śani-vāra. śukrá is a name of Venus (regarded as a son of Bhṛgu); guru is here a title of Bṛhaspati, and hence of Jupiter; budha "Mercury" is regarded as a son of Soma, that is, the Moon.[22]
Sunday the Sun (Aditya, Ravi) |
Monday the Moon (Soma, Chandra, Indu) |
Tuesday Mars (Mangala, Angaraka) |
Wednesday Mercury (Budha) |
Thursday Jupiter (Bṛhaspati, Guru) |
Friday Venus (Shukra) |
Saturday Saturn (Shani) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burmese | တနင်္ဂနွေ[☉9] IPA: [tənɪ̀ɰ̃ ɡənwè] (ta.nangga.new) |
တနင်္လာ[☽5] IPA: [tənɪ̀ɰ̃ là] (ta.nangla) |
အင်္ဂါ IPA: [ɪ̀ɰ̃ ɡà] (Angga) |
ဗုဒ္ဓဟူး IPA: [boʊʔ dəhú] (Buddhahu) (afternoon=new day) ရာဟု Rahu |
ကြာသာပတေး IPA: [tɕà ðà bədé] (Krasapate) |
သောကြာ IPA: [ (Saukra) |
စနေ IPA: [sənè] (Cane) |
Mon | တ္ၚဲ အဒိုတ် [ŋoa ətɜ̀t] from Sans. āditya |
တ္ၚဲ စန် [ŋoa cɔn] from Sans. candra |
တ္ၚဲ အၚါ [ŋoa əŋɛ̀a] from Sans. aṅgāra |
တ္ၚဲ ဗုဒ္ဓဝါ [ŋoa pùt-həwɛ̀a] from Sans. budhavāra |
တ္ၚဲ ဗြဴဗ္တိ [ŋoa pɹɛ̀apətɔeʔ] from Sans. bṛhaspati |
တ္ၚဲ သိုက်. [ŋoa sak] from Sans. śukra |
တ္ၚဲ သ္ၚိ သဝ် [ŋoa hɔeʔ sɔ] from Sans. śani |
Khmer | ថ្ងៃអាទិត្យ [tŋaj ʔaːtɨt] |
ថ្ងៃចន្ទ [tŋaj can] |
ថ្ងៃអង្គារ [tŋaj ʔɑŋkiə] |
ថ្ងៃពុធ [tŋaj put] |
ថ្ងៃព្រហស្បត្ណិ [tŋaj prɔhoə̯h] |
ថ្ងៃសុក្រ [tŋaj sok] |
ថ្ងៃសៅរ៍ [tŋaj saʋ] |
Lao | ວັນອາທິດ [wán ʔàːtʰīt] |
ວັນຈັນ [wán càn] |
ວັນອັງຄານ [wán ʔàŋkʰáːn] |
ວັນພຸດ [wán pʰūt] |
ວັນພະຫັດ [wán pʰāhát] |
ວັນສຸກ [wán súk] |
ວັນເສົາ [wán sǎu] |
Cham | Adit | Thôm | Angar | But | jip | Suk | Thanưchăn |
Shan | ဝၼ်းဢႃတိတ်ႉ IPA: [wan˦ ʔaː˩ tit˥] |
ဝၼ်းၸၼ် IPA: [wan˦ tsan˩] |
ဝၼ်းဢင်းၵၼ်း IPA: [wan˦ ʔaŋ˦ kan˦] |
ဝၼ်းၽုတ်ႉ IPA: [wan˦ pʰut˥] |
ဝၼ်းၽတ်း IPA: [wan˦ pʰat˦] |
ဝၼ်းသုၵ်း IPA: [wan˦ sʰuk˦] |
ဝၼ်းသဝ် IPA: [wan˦ sʰaw˩] |
Thai | วันอาทิตย์ Wan Āthit |
วันจันทร์ Wan Chan |
วันอังคาร Wan Angkhān |
วันพุธ Wan Phut |
วันพฤหัสบดี Wan Phruehatsabodi |
วันศุกร์ Wan Suk |
วันเสาร์ Wan Sao |
Javanese | ꦫꦢꦶꦠꦾ Raditya |
ꦱꦺꦴꦩ Soma |
ꦲꦁꦒꦫ Anggara |
ꦧꦸꦢ Buda |
ꦉꦱ꧀ꦥꦠꦶ Respati |
ꦱꦸꦏꦿ Sukra |
ꦠꦸꦩ꧀ꦥꦼꦏ꧀ Tumpek |
Balinese | ᬋᬤᬶᬢᬾ Redité |
ᬲᭀᬫ Soma |
ᬳᬂᬕᬭ Anggara |
ᬩᬸᬤ Buda |
ᬯ᭄ᬭᭂᬲ᭄ᬧᬢᬶ Wrespati |
ᬲᬸᬓ᭄ᬭ Sukra |
ᬲᬦᬶᬲ᭄ᬘᬭ Saniscara |
Sundanese | ᮛᮓᮤᮒᮦ
Radité |
ᮞᮧᮙ Soma |
ᮃᮀᮌᮛ Anggara |
ᮘᮥᮓ Buda |
ᮛᮨᮞ᮪ᮕᮒᮤ Respati |
ᮞᮥᮊᮢ Sukra |
ᮒᮥᮙ᮪ᮕᮨᮊ᮪ Tumpek |
Toba Batak | Artia | Suma | Anggara | Muda | Boraspati | Singkora | Samisara |
Angkola-Mandailing Batak | Arita | Suma | Anggara | Muda | Boraspati | Sikkora | Samisara |
Simalungun Batak | Aditia | Suma | Anggara | Mudaha | Boraspati | Sihora | Samisara |
Karo Batak | Aditia | Suma | Nggara | Budaha | Beraspati | Cukra | Belah Naik |
Pakpak Batak | Antia | Suma | Anggara | Budaha/Muda | Beraspati | Cukerra | Belah Naik |
Northeast Asian languages
editSunday the Sun (Aditya, Ravi) |
Monday the Moon (Soma, Chandra, Indu) |
Tuesday Mars (Mangala, Angāraka) |
Wednesday Mercury (Budha) |
Thursday Jupiter (Bṛhaspati, Guru) |
Friday Venus (Shukra) |
Saturday Saturn (Shani) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mongolian | адъяа ad'yaa |
сумъяа sum'yaa |
ангараг angarag |
буд bud |
бархабадь barhabad' |
сугар sugar |
санчир sanchir |
Kalmyk | адъян өдр ad'yan ödr |
сумъян өдр sum'yan ödr |
мингъян өдр ming'yan ödr |
будан өдр budan ödr |
гуръян өдр gur'yan ödr |
шикрян өдр shikr'yan ödr |
шанун өдр shanun ödr |
East Asian tradition
editThe East Asian naming system for the days of the week closely parallels that of the Latin system and is ordered after the "Seven Luminaries" (
The Chinese had apparently adopted the seven-day week from the Hellenistic system by the 4th century AD, although by which route is not entirely clear. It was again transmitted to China in the 8th century AD by Manichaeans, via the country of Kang (a Central Asian polity near Samarkand).[23] The 4th-century AD date, according to the Cihai encyclopedia,[year needed] is due to a reference to Fan Ning (范寧), an astrologer of the Jin dynasty. The renewed adoption from Manichaeans in the 8th century AD (Tang dynasty) is documented with the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing and the Ceylonese Buddhist monk Bu Kong.
The Chinese transliteration of the planetary system was soon brought to Japan by the Japanese monk Kobo Daishi; surviving diaries of the Japanese statesman Fujiwara no Michinaga show the seven-day system in use in Heian Period Japan as early as 1007. In Japan, the seven-day system was kept in use (for astrological purposes) until its promotion to a full-fledged (Western-style) calendrical basis during the Meiji era. In China, with the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, Monday through Saturday in China are now named after the luminaries implicitly with the numbers.
- Pronunciations for Classical Chinese names are given in Standard Chinese.
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Celestial Object | Sun First Star – Sun ( |
Moon Second Star – Moon ( |
Mars ( Third Star – Fire (熒惑 |
Mercury ( Fourth Star – Water ( |
Jupiter ( Fifth Star – Wood ( |
Venus ( Sixth Star – Metal or Gold ( |
Saturn ( Seventh Star – Earth or Soil (鎮星) |
Chinese | Rìyàorì |
Yuèyàorì |
Huǒyàorì |
Shuǐyàorì |
Mùyàorì |
Jīnyàorì |
Tǔyàorì |
Japanese | Nichiyōbi |
Getsuyōbi |
Kayōbi |
Suiyōbi |
Mokuyōbi |
Kin'yōbi |
Doyōbi |
Korean | 일요일 Iryoil |
월요일 Woryoil |
화요일 Hwayoil |
수요일 Suyoil |
목요일 Mogyoil |
금요일 Geumyoil |
토요일 Toyoil |
Mongolian | наран өдөр naraŋ ödör | саран өдөр saraŋ ödör | гал өдөр gal ödör | усан өдөр usaŋ ödör | модон өдөр modoŋ ödör | төмөр өдөр, алтан өдөр tömör ödör, altaŋ ödör | шороон өдөр shorooŋ ödör |
Mongolian (Transliteration from Tibetan) |
ням nyam |
даваа davaa |
мягмар myagmar |
лхагва lhagva |
пүрэв pürev |
баасан baasan |
бямба byamba |
Tibetan | གཟའ་ཉི་མ། (gza' nyi ma) Nyima |
གཟའ་ཟླ་བ། (gza' zla wa) Dawa |
གཟའ་མིག་དམར། (gza' mig dmar) Mikmar |
གཟའ་ལྷག་པ། (gza' lhak pa) Lhakpa |
གཟའ་ཕུར་བུ། (gza' phur bu) Purbu |
གཟའ་པ་སངས། (gza' pa sangs) Pasang |
གཟའ་སྤེན་པ། (gza' spen ba) Penba |
Numbered days of the week
editDays numbered from Monday
editISO prescribes Monday as the first day of the week with ISO-8601 for software date formats.
The Slavic, Baltic and Uralic languages (except Finnish and partially Estonian and Võro) adopted numbering but took Monday rather than Sunday as the "first day".[24] This convention is also found in some Austronesian languages whose speakers were converted to Christianity by European missionaries.[25]
In Slavic languages, some of the names correspond to numerals after Sunday: compare Russian vtornik (вторник) "Tuesday" and vtoroj (второй) "the second", chetverg (четверг) "Thursday" and chetvjortyj (четвёртый) "the fourth", pyatnitsa (пятница) "Friday" and pyatyj (пятый) "the fifth"; see also the Notes.
Day Number From One |
Monday Day One |
Tuesday Day Two |
Wednesday Day Three |
Thursday Day Four |
Friday Day Five |
Saturday Day Six |
Sunday Day Seven |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISO 8601 # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Russian | понедельник ponedel'nik [☽1] |
вторник vtornik [♂5] |
среда sreda [☿1] |
четверг chetverg [♃4] |
пятница pyatnitsa [♀5] |
суббота subbota [♄1] |
воскресенье voskresen'ye [☉3] |
Belarusian | панядзелак panyadzelak [☽1] |
аўторак awtorak [♂5] |
серада serada [☿1] |
чацвер chats'ver [♃4] |
пятніца pyatnitsa [♀5] |
субота subota [♄1] |
нядзеля nyadzelya [☉6] |
Ukrainian | понедiлок ponedilok [☽1] |
вiвторок vivtorok [♂5] |
середа sereda [☿1] |
четвер chetver [♃4] |
п'ятниця p'yatnytsya [♀5] |
субота subota [♄1] |
недiля nedilya [☉6] |
Lemko Rusyn | понедільок ponedilyok |
віторок vitorok [♂5] |
середа sereda |
четвер chetver |
пятниця pyatnîtsya |
субота subota |
неділя nedilya |
Prešov Rusyn | понедїлёк ponedyilyok |
вівторок vivtorok [♂5] |
середа sereda |
четверь chetver' |
пятніця pyatnitsya |
субота subota |
недїля nedyilya |
Pannonian Rusyn | пондзелок pondzelok |
вовторок vovtorok [♂5] |
стрeдa streda |
штвaртoк shtvartok |
пияток piyatok |
сoбoтa sobota |
нєдзеля nyedzelya |
Slovak | pondelok [☽1] | utorok [♂5] | streda [☿1] | štvrtok [♃4] | piatok [♀5] | sobota [♄1] | nedeľa [☉6] |
Czech | pondělí [☽1] | úterý [♂5] | středa [☿1] | čtvrtek [♃4] | pátek [♀5] | sobota [♄1] | neděle [☉6] |
Upper Sorbian | póndźela [☽1] | wutora [♂5] | srjeda [☿1] | štwórtk [♃4] | pjatk [♀5] | sobota [♄1] | njedźela [☉6] |
Lower Sorbian | pónjeźela, pónjeźele | wałtora [♂5] | srjoda | stwórtk | pětk | sobota | njeźela, njeźelka |
Polish | poniedziałek [☽1] | wtorek [♂5] | środa [☿1] | czwartek [♃4] | piątek [♀5] | sobota [♄1] | niedziela [☉6] |
Kashubian | pòniedzôłk | wtórk | strzoda | czwiôrtk | piątk | sobòta | niedzela |
Slovene | ponedeljek [☽1] | torek [♂5] | sreda [☿1] | četrtek [♃4] | petek [♀5] | sobota [♄1] | nedelja [☉6] |
Burgenland Croatian | pandiljak, ponediljak | utorak [♂5] | srijeda | četvrtak | petak | subota | nedilja |
Serbo-Croatian (Ijekavian/Ekavian/Ikavian) | ponedjeljak, понедјељак [☽1] |
utorak, уторак [♂5] |
srijeda, сриједа [☿1] |
četvrtak, четвртак [♃4] |
petak, петак [♀5] |
subota, субота [♄1] |
nedjelja, недјеља [☉6] |
понедељак, ponedeljak [☽1] |
среда, sreda [☿1] |
недеља, nedelja [☉6] | |||||
ponediljak, понедилјак [☽1] |
srida, срида [☿1] |
nedilja, недилја [☉6] | |||||
Macedonian | понеделник ponedelnik [☽1] |
вторник vtornik [♂5] |
среда sreda [☿1] |
четврток chetvrtok [♃4] |
петок petok [♀5] |
сабота sabota [♄1] |
недела nedela [☉6] |
Bulgarian | понеделник ponedelnik [☽1] |
вторник vtornik [♂5] |
сряда sryada [☿1] |
четвъртък chetvărtăk [♃4] |
петък petăk [♀5] |
събота săbota [♄1] |
неделя nedelya [☉6] |
Interslavic | ponedělok, понедєлок [☽1] |
vtorok, второк [♂5] |
srěda, срєда [☿1] |
četvrtok, четврток [♃4] |
petok, петок [♀5] |
subota, субота [♄1] |
nedělja, недєлја [☉6] |
Lithuanian | pirmadienis | antradienis | trečiadienis | ketvirtadienis | penktadienis [♀5] | šeštadienis | sekmadienis |
Latvian | pirmdiena | otrdiena | trešdiena | ceturtdiena [♃4] | piektdiena [♀5] | sestdiena | svētdiena |
Hungarian | hétfő [☽3] | kedd [♂2] | szerda [☿1] Slavic | csütörtök [♃4] Slavic | péntek [♀5] Slavic | szombat [♄1] Hebrew | vasárnap [☉5] |
Estonian | esmaspäev [☽6] | teisipäev [♂2] | kolmapäev [☿3] | neljapäev [♃4] | reede [♀6] | laupäev[♄2] | pühapäev[☉2] |
Võro | iispäiv [☽6] | tõõsõpäiv [♂2] | kolmapäiv [☿3] | nelläpäiv [♃4] | riidi [♀6] | puuľpäiv[♄8] | pühäpäiv[☉2] |
Mongolian (numerical) |
нэг дэх өдөр neg dekh ödör |
хоёр дахь өдөр hoyor dahi ödör |
гурав дахь өдөр gurav dahi ödör |
дөрөв дэх өдөр döröv dekh ödör |
тав дахь өдөр tav dahi ödör |
хагас сайн өдөр hagas sayn ödör [♄7] |
бүтэн сайн өдөр büten sayn ödör [☉7] |
Luo | Wuok tich | Tich ariyo | Tich adek | Tich ang'uen | Tich abich | Chieng' ngeso | Juma pil |
Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin) | mande | tunde | trinde | fonde | fraide | sarere | sande |
Apma (Vanuatu) | ren bwaleh / mande[26] | ren karu | ren katsil | ren kavet | ren kalim | lesaare | sande |
Sona (constructed language) | enyodi | doyodi | tinyodi | cayodi | penyodi | xiodi | zunyodi |
In Standard Chinese, the week is referred to as the "Stellar Period" (Chinese:
The modern Chinese names for the days of the week are based on a simple numerical sequence. The word for "week" is followed by a number indicating the day: "Monday" is literally the "Stellar Period One"/"Cycle One", that is, the "First day of the Stellar Period/Cycle", etc. The exception is Sunday, where
Accordingly, the notational abbreviation of the days of the week uses the numbers, for example,
Colloquially, the week is also known as the "Worship" (simplified Chinese:
The following is a table of the Mandarin names of the days of the weeks. Note that standard Taiwan Mandarin pronounces
Day | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Modern Chinese | Xīngqīyī |
Xīngqī'èr |
Xīngqīsān |
Xīngqīsì |
Xīngqīwǔ |
Xīngqīliù |
Xīngqīrì (or Xīngqītiān) |
Zhōuyī |
Zhōu'èr |
Zhōusān |
Zhōusì |
Zhōuwǔ |
Zhōuliù |
Zhōurì (or Zhōutiān, rarely used) | |
Standard Modern Chinese (regional, informal, colloquial) |
Lǐbàiyī |
Lǐbài'èr |
Lǐbàisān |
Lǐbàisì |
Lǐbàiwǔ |
Lǐbàiliù |
Lǐbàitiān (or Lǐbàirì) |
Several Sinitic languages refer to Saturday as
Days numbered from Sunday
editSunday comes first in order in calendars shown in the table below. In the Abrahamic tradition, the first day of the week is Sunday. Biblical Sabbath (corresponding to Saturday) is when God rested from six-day Creation, making the day following the Sabbath the first day of the week (corresponding to Sunday). Seventh-day Sabbaths were sanctified for celebration and rest. After the week was adopted in early Christianity, Sunday remained the first day of the week, but also gradually displaced Saturday as the day of celebration and rest, being considered the Lord's Day.
Saint Martin of Dumio (c. 520–580), archbishop of Braga, decided not to call days by pagan gods and to use ecclesiastic terminology to designate them. While the custom of numbering the days of the week was mostly prevalent in the Eastern Church, Portuguese, Mirandese and Galician, due to Martin's influence, are the only Romance languages in which the names of the days come from numbers rather than planetary names.
Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) historically objected to the pagan etymologies of days and months and substituted numbering, beginning with First Day for Sunday.
Icelandic is a special case within the Germanic languages, maintaining only the Sun and Moon (sunnudagur and mánudagur respectively), while dispensing with the names of the explicitly heathen gods in favour of a combination of numbered days and days whose names are linked to pious or domestic routine (föstudagur, "Fasting Day" and laugardagur, "Washing Day"). The "washing day" is also used in other North Germanic languages, but otherwise the names correspond to those of English.
Day Number from One | Sunday (Day One) | Monday (Day Two) | Tuesday (Day Three) | Wednesday (Day Four) | Thursday (Day Five) | Friday (Day Six) | Saturday (Day Seven) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Icelandic | sunnudagur | mánudagur | þriðjudagur | miðvikudagur [☿1] | fimmtudagur | föstudagur [♀1] | laugardagur [♄2] |
Hebrew | יום ראשון yom rishon | יום שני yom sheyni | יום שלישי yom shlishi | יום רביעי yom revi'i | יום חמישי yom chamishi | יום שישי yom shishi | שבת Shabbat[♄1] |
Ecclesiastical Latin | Dominica [☉1] | feria secunda | feria tertia | feria quarta | feria quinta | feria sexta | sabbatum [♄1] |
Portuguese | domingo [☉1] | segunda-feira | terça-feira | quarta-feira | quinta-feira | sexta-feira | sábado [♄1] |
Galician | domingo [☉1] | segunda feira | terza feira terceira feira | corta feira quarta feira | quinta feira | sexta feira | sábado [♄1] |
Mirandese | demingo [☉1] | segunda-feira | terça-feira | quarta-feira | quinta-feira | sesta-feira | sábado [♄1] |
Tetum | loron-domingu | loron-segunda | loron-tersa | loron-kuarta | loron-kinta | loron-sesta | loron-sábadu |
Greek | Κυριακή Kyriakí [☉1] | Δευτέρα Deftéra | Τρίτη Tríti | Τετάρτη Tetárti | Πέμπτη Pémpti | Παρασκευή Paraskeví [♀2] | Σάββατο Sávato [♄1] |
Georgian | კვირა k'vira [☉1] | ორშაბათი oršabati | სამშაბათი samšabati | ოთხშაბათი otxšabati | ხუთშაბათი xutšabati | პარასკევი p'arask'evi [♀2] | შაბათი šabati [♄1] |
Western Armenian | Կիրակի Giragi [☉1] |
Երկուշաբթի Yergushapti |
Երեքշաբթի Yerekshapti |
Չորեքշաբթի Chorekshapti |
Հինգշաբթի Hinkshapti |
Ուրբաթ Urpat [♀2] |
Շաբաթ Shapat [♄1] |
Eastern Armenian | կիրակի kiraki [☉1] |
երկուշաբթի yerkushapʰtʰi |
երեքշաբթի yerekʰshapʰtʰi |
չորեքշաբթի chʰorekʰshapʰtʰi |
հինգշաբթի hingshapʰtʰi |
ուրբաթ urpʰatʰ [♀2] |
շաբաթ shapʰatʰ [♄1] |
Vietnamese | chủ nhật/chúa nhật [☉1] | thứ hai | thứ ba | thứ tư | thứ năm | thứ sáu | thứ bảy |
Somali | 𐒖𐒄𐒖𐒆 Axad | 𐒘𐒈𐒒𐒕𐒒 Isniin | 𐒂𐒖𐒐𐒛𐒆𐒙 Talaado | 𐒖𐒇𐒁𐒖𐒋𐒙 Arbaco | 𐒅𐒖𐒑𐒕𐒈 Khamiis | 𐒃𐒘𐒑𐒋𐒙 Jimco | 𐒈𐒖𐒁𐒂𐒘 Sabti |
Amharic | እሑድ əhud | ሰኞ säñño | ማክሰኞ maksäñño | ረቡዕ räbu, ሮብ rob | ሐሙስ hamus | ዓርብ arb | ቅዳሜ ḳədame |
Arabic | الأَحَد al-ʔaḥad | الإثنين al-iṯnayn | الثُّلَاثاء aṯ-ṯulāṯāʔ | الأَرْبعاء al-ʔarbiʕāʔ | الخَمِيسُ al-ḵamīs | الجُمُعَة al-jumuʕah [♀4] (also الجُمْعَة al-jumʕah ) | السَّبْت as-sabt [♄5] |
Maltese | il-Ħadd | it-Tnejn | it-Tlieta | l-Erbgħa | il-Ħamis | il-Ġimgħa [♀4] | is-Sibt [♄5] |
Malay (incl. Indonesian and Malaysian) |
Ahad or Minggu[☉1] | Isnin or Senin | Selasa | Rabu | K(h)amis | Juma(a)t [♀4] | Sabtu [♄5] |
Javanese | Ngahad, Ngakad, Minggu[☉1] | Senèn | Selasa | Rebo | Kemis | Jemuwah [♀4] | Setu [♄5] |
Sundanese | Minggu / Minggon [☉1] | Senén | Salasa | Rebo | Kemis | Jumaah [♀4] | Saptu [♄5] |
Persian | یکشنبه yekšanbe | دوشنبه došanbe | سهشنبه sešanbe | چهارشنبه čāhāršanbe | پنجشنبه panjšanbe | آدینه or جمعه ādine [♀3] or djom'e [♀4] | شنبه šanbe |
Kazakh | Жексенбі Jeksenbı | Дүйсенбі Düisenbı | Сейсенбі Seisenbı | Сәрсенбі Särsenbı | Бейсенбі Beisenbı | Жұма Jūma | Сенбі Senbı |
Karakalpak | Ekshembi yekşembı | Dúyshembi düişembı | Siyshembi sişembı | Sárshembi särşembı | Piyshembi pişembı | Jumа jūma | Shembі şembı |
Tatar | Якшәмбе yakşämbe | Дүшәмбе düşämbe | Сишәмбе sişämbe | Чәршәмбе çärşämbe | Пәнҗешәмбе pänceşämbe | Җомга comga | Шимбә şimbä |
Khowar | یک شمبے yak shambey | دو شمبے[☽4] du shambey | سہ شمبے sey shambey | چار شمبے char shambey | پچھمبے pachhambey | آدینہ[♀3] adina | شمبے |
Kurdish | Yekşem | Duşem | Sêşem | Çarşem | Pêncşem | În | Şemî |
Uyghur | يەكشەنبە, yekshenbe | دۈشەنبە, düshenbe | سەيشەنبە, seyshenbe | چارشەنبە, charshenbe | پەيشەنبە, peyshenbey | جۈمە, jüme | شەنبە, shenbe |
Old Turkic | birinç kün | ikinç kün | üçünç kün | törtinç kün | beşinç kün | altınç kün | yetinç kün |
Turkish | Pazar [☉4] | Pazartesi [☽2] | Salı [a] | Çarşamba [b] | Perşembe [c] | Cuma [♀4] | Cumartesi [♄4] |
Azerbaijani | Bazar | Bazar ertəsi | Çərşənbə axşamı | Çərşənbə | Cümə axşamı | Cümə | Şənbə |
Uzbek | Yakshanba | Dushanba | Seshanba | Chorshanba | Payshanba | Juma | Shanba |
Navajo | Damóo/Damíigo [☉1] | Damóo Biiskání | Damóo dóó Naakiską́o | Damóo dóó Tááʼ Yiską́o | Damóo dóó Dį́į́ʼ Yiską́o | Ndaʼiiníísh | Yiską́o Damóo |
Days numbered from Saturday
editIn Swahili, the day begins at sunrise, unlike in the Arabic and Hebrew calendars where the day starts at sunset (therefore an offset of twelve hours on average), and unlike in the Western world where the day starts at midnight (therefore an offset of six hours on average). Saturday is therefore the first day of the week, as it is the day that includes the first night of the week in Arabic.
Etymologically speaking, Swahili has two "fifth" days. The words for Saturday through Wednesday contain the Bantu-derived Swahili words for "one" through "five". The word for Thursday, Alhamisi, is of Arabic origin and means "the fifth" (day). The word for Friday, Ijumaa, is also Arabic and means (day of) "gathering" for the Friday noon prayers in Islam.
Day Number from One |
Saturday Day One |
Sunday Day Two |
Monday Day Three |
Tuesday Day Four |
Wednesday Day Five |
Thursday Day Six |
Friday Day Seven |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swahili[28] | jumamosi | jumapili | jumatatu | jumanne | jumatano | alhamisi [♃2] | ijumaa [♀4] |
Mixing of numbering and astronomy
editIn the Žejane dialect of Istro-Romanian, lur (Monday) and virer (Friday) follow the Latin convention, while utorek (Tuesday), sredu (Wednesday), and četrtok (Thursday) follow the Slavic convention.[29]
Day | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Istro-Romanian, Žejane dialect | lur | utorek | sredu | četrtok | virer | simbota [♄1] | dumireca [☉1] |
There are several systems in the different Basque dialects.[30]
Day | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Basque, Guipuscoan Basque | astelehena ("week-first") | asteartea ("week-between") | asteazkena ("week-last") | osteguna ("Ortzi/Sky day") | ostirala (see Ortzi) | larunbata ("fourth", "meeting of friends"), neskenegun ("girls' day") | igandea |
Biscayne Basque | astelena ("week-first"), ilen ("Moon day") | martitzena ("Mars day") | eguaztena ("day last") | eguena ("day of days", "day of light") | barikua ("day without supper"), egubakotx | zapatua (compare with Spanish sábado from Sabbath) | domeka (from Latin Dominica [dies]) |
In Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino), which is mainly based on a medieval version of Spanish, the five days of Monday–Friday closely follow the Spanish names. For Sunday is used the Arabic name, which is based on numbering (meaning "Day one" or "First day"), because a Jewish language was not likely to adapt a name based on "Lord's Day" for Sunday. As in Spanish, the Ladino name for Saturday is based on Sabbath. However, as a Jewish language—and with Saturday being the actual day of rest in the Jewish community—Ladino directly adapted the Hebrew name, Shabbat.[31]
Day | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino) | aljhad or alhadh | lunes | martes | miércoles or mierkoles | juğeves or djueves | viernes | shabat[♄1] |
The days of the week in Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) originated from the Sanamahi creation myth of Meitei mythology.[32] [33] [34] [35]
Sunday the Hill |
Monday King's Climb |
Tuesday Earth's Birth |
Wednesday Houses Built |
Thursday Horses Rode |
Friday Blood Flood |
Saturday Swords Washed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meitei | Nongmaiching | Ningthoukaba |
Leibakpokpa |
Yumsakeisa |
Sagonsen |
Eerai |
Thangcha |
See also
editNotes
editSunday
edit☉1 Lord's Day – From Latin Dominicus (Dominica) or Greek Κυριακή (Kyriakí)
☉2 Holy Day and First-Day of the Week (Day of the Sun -> Light -> Resurrection -> Born again) (Christianity)
☉3 Resurrection (Christianity)
☉5 Market Day
☉6 No Work
☉7 Full good day
☉8 Borrowed from English week
☉9 From an Old Burmese word, not of Indic origin.
Monday
edit☽1 After No Work
☽3 Head of Week
☽4 Master (as in Pir, because Muhammad was born on a Monday)
☽5 From an Old Burmese word, not of Indic origin.
☽6 First day of the week
Tuesday
edit♂1 Thing (Assembly), of which god Tyr/Ziu was the patron.
♂2 Second day of the week (cf. Hungarian kettő 'two')
♂3 Third day of the week.
♂4 From Arabic ath-Thalaathaaʼ 'third day'
♂5 From Proto-Slavic vъtorъ 'second'
Wednesday
edit☿1 Mid-week or Middle
☿2 The First Fast (Christianity)
☿3 Third day of the week
Thursday
edit♃1 The day between two fasts (An Dé idir dhá aoin, contracted to An Déardaoin) (Christianity)
♃2 Five (Arabic)
♃3 Fifth day of the week.
♃4 Fourth day of the week.
Friday
edit♀1 The Fast (Celtic) or Fasting Day (Icelandic) (Christianity)
♀2 Good Friday or Preparation (Christianity)
♀4 Gathering/Assembly/Meeting (Islam) – in Malta with no Islamic connotations
♀5 Fifth day of the week
♀6 Borrowed from Germanic languages
Or canàbara, cenàbara, cenàbera, cenàbura, cenarba, chenàbara, chenabra, chenapra, chenàpura, chenarpa, chenàura, cianàbara, chenabura; meaning holy supper as preparation to the sabbathday(Saturday)
Saturday
edit♄1 Shabbat (Jewish and Christian Sabbath)
♄2 Wash or Bath day
♄3 Sun-eve (Eve of Sunday)
♄4 After the Gathering (Islam)
♄5 End of the Week (Arabic Sabt 'rest')
♄6 Week
♄7 Half good day
♄8 Half day
Notes
edit- ^ Or domigu, domingu, domínica, dominica, domínigu, dumínica, dumíniga.
- ^ Or mércuis, mérculis, mércuris.
- ^ Or gióvia, zóbia, giògia, zògia.
- ^ Or canàbara, cenàbara, cenàbera, cenàbura, cenarba, chenàbara, chenabra, chenapra, chenàpura, chenarpa, chenàura, cianàbara.
- ^ Or sàbadu, sàbudu, sàburu, sàpatu.
References
edit- ^ "What is the First Day of the Week?".
- ^ Schaff, Philip (1884). History of the Christian Church Vol. III. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. p. 380. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Nerone Caesare Augusto Cosso Lentuol Cossil fil. Cos. VIII idus Febr(u)arius dies solis, luna XIIIIX nun(dinae) Cumis, V (idus Februarias) nun(dinae) Pompeis. Robert Hannah, "Time in Written Spaces", in: Peter Keegan, Gareth Sears, Ray Laurence (eds.), Written Space in the Latin West, 200 BC to 300 AD, A&C Black, 2013, p. 89.
- ^ E. G. Richards, Mapping Time, the Calendar and History, Oxford 1999. p. 269
- ^ Falk, Michael (19 March 1999). "Astronomical names for the days of the week". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 93 (1999–06): 122–133. Bibcode:1999JRASC..93..122F.
- ^ "Days of the Week Meaning and Origin". Astrologyclub.org. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ^ Dio Cassius. Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἱστορία. Book 37, Sections 16-19. English translation.
- ^ "Days of the week in Portuguese".
- ^ replacing a system of n "one-, three-, five-, ten-, or fifteen-day periods" (>Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, 2003, p. 7). MS. 17 (now held at St. John's College, Oxford), dating at least from 1043, records five-week-day lists, which it names as follows: secundum Hebreos (according to the Hebrews); secundum antiquos gentiles (according to the ancient gentiles, i.e., Romans); secundum Siluestrum papam (according to Pope Sylvester I, i.e., a list derived from the apocryphal Acta Syluestri); secundum Anglos (according to the English); secundum Scottos (according to the Irish).
- ^ "we have a clear reflex of the Indo-European nominative singular, with a lengthened grade, giving archaic Old Irish diu; it is suggested that what we have in the Oxford list and in Cormac's Glossary is the oldest form of Old Irish dia, representing the old nominative case of the noun in adverbial usage." Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, 2003, p. 12
- ^ The word scrol is glossed in Sanas Cormaic as Scroll .i. soillsi, unde est aput Scottos diu srol.i. dies solis "Srcoll, that is brightness, whence 'diu srol' among the Irish, that is Sunday".
- ^ Ó Cróinín has Diu luna as "represent[ing] the transitional form between Latin dies lunae and the later, Classical Old Irish dia luain ... a translation of, not a calque on, the Latin ... [It] would seem to reflect a pre-assimilation state in respect of both words," Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, 2003, p. 13
- ^ "The Irish word perhaps derives from Latin forms where cases other than the genitive were used, e.g., Marte."Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, 2003, p. 15
- ^ A form unique to Irish, meaning uncertain. In Old Irish, íath can mean "land." A "very old" word for Wednesday, Mercúir (borrowed from the Latin (dies) Mercurii), does occur in early Leinster poems but Ó Cróinín is of the belief that Diu eathamon "reflects a still older Irish word for 'Wednesday.'"
- ^ A form unique to Irish. Ó Cróinín writes, "I suggest that it means simply 'on Thursday' ... it is temporal dat. of an n-stem (nom. sg. etham, gen. sg. ethamon – as in our Oxford list – and acc./dat. sg. ethamain)." (2003, p. 17) He furthermore suggests that etham ('arable land') "may be a noun of agency from ith (gen. sg. etho), with a meaning like corn-maker or some such thing; Diu eathamon might then be a day for sowing seed in a weekly regimen of activities such as we find in Críth Gablach." Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, 2003, p. 17. The form Ethomuin is found in Rawlinson B 502.
- ^ A form unique to Irish, its meaning unclear.
- ^ https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/SQA-Gaelic_Orthographic_Conventions-En-e.pdf, p. 17.
- ^ Boyce, Mary (July 1995). "Languages in contact I: Creating new words for Maori". New Zealand Studies. 5 (2). doi:10.26686/jnzs.v5i2.473.
- ^ Grimm, Jacob (2004). Teutonic Mythology. Courier Corporation. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-0-486-43546-6.
- ^ "friggjarstjarna". Dictionary of Old Norse Prose. University of Copenhagen. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), s.v. vāsara.
- ^ Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), s.v. vāra.
- ^ The Chinese encyclopaedia Cihai (
辭 海 ) under the entry for "seven luminaries calendar" (七曜曆 , qī yào lì) has: "method of recording days according to the seven luminaries [七曜 qī yào]. China normally observes the following order: Sun, Mon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. Seven days make one week, which is repeated in a cycle. Originated in ancient Babylon (or ancient Egypt according to one theory). Used by the Romans at the time of the 1st century AD, later transmitted to other countries. This method existed in China in the 4th century AD. It was also transmitted to China by Manichaeans in the 8th century AD from the country of Kang (康 ) in Central Asia" (translation after Bathrobe's Days of the Week in Chinese, Japanese & Vietnamese, plus Mongolian and Buryat (cjvlang.com) - ^ Falk, Michael (2004). "Astronomical names for the days of the week". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 93 (1999–06): 122–133. arXiv:astro-ph/0307398. Bibcode:1999JRASC..93..122F. doi:10.1016/j.newast.2003.07.002. S2CID 118954190.
- ^ Gray, 2012. The Languages of Pentecost Island.
- ^ Ren is "day". Numbered weekdays are used for Tuesday-Friday and sometimes Monday; the names for Saturday and Sunday come from English.
- ^ "Days of the Week in Chinese: Three Different Words for 'Week'". Cjvlang. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "Swahili days, months, dates". online.fr. Archived from the original on 9 August 2007.
- ^ [1] Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Astronomy and Basque Language, Henrike Knörr, Oxford VI and SEAC 99 "Astronomy and Cultural Diversity", La Laguna, June 1999. It references Alessandro Bausani, 1982, The prehistoric Basque week of three days: archaeoastronomical notes, The Bulletin of the Center for Archaeoastronomy (Maryland), v. 2, 16–22.
- ^ See the image in Anthony, Charlotte (22 July 2012). "Rushing to preserve Ladino legacies". Crescent City Jewish News. Retrieved 31 May 2016. The Ladino names are in the right-hand column, written in Hebrew characters.
- ^ Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amai Eelon Pukok PuYa
- ^ Wachetlon Pathup PuYa
- ^ Kham Oi Yang Oi Sekning PuYa
- ^ Nunglekpam, Premi Devi (25 May 2018). Short Essays on Women and Society: Manipuri Women through the Century. FSP Media Publications.
Further reading
edit- Brown, Cecil H. (1989). "Naming the days of the week: A cross-language study of lexical acculturation". Current Anthropology. 30 (4): 536–550. doi:10.1086/203782. JSTOR 2743391. S2CID 144153973.
- Falk, Michael (2004). "Astronomical Names for the Days of the Week". Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 93: 122–133. Bibcode:1999JRASC..93..122F.
- Neugebauer, Otto (1979). Ethiopic astronomy and computus, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, philosophisch-historische klasse, sitzungsberichte, 347 (Vienna)