Meaning of The Names of the Months and Days of the Week
Below you will find the months of the year and the days of the week. Each month includes the answer to the question “what are the meanings for the months of the year?”. Each day of the week name includes the answer to the question “what do the names of the days of the week mean?”.
January
The name, January, is derived from ‘Janus’, the Roman God of gates and doorways. Janus is represented as having two faces, looking in opposite directions.
Middle English Januarie
Latin Januarius “of Janus”
Latin Janu(s) “Janus” + -arius “ary (pertaining to)”
Latin Januarius mensis “month of Janus”
February
February has perhaps originated from the Sabine culture. The Roman festival of purification, which is celebrated on February 15, is called ‘Februa’.
Middle English Februarius
Latin Februarius “of Februa”
Latin Februa(s) “Februa” + -arius “ary (pertaining to)”
Latin Februarius mensis “month of Februa”
Latin dies februatus “day of purification”
March
March, the third month of our calendar, was originally the first month of the year. It was considered as the time to resume war. March is regarded as the month of Mars.
Middle English March(e)
Anglo-French March(e)
Old English Martius
Latin Martius “of Mars”
Latin Marti(s) “Mars” + -us (adj. suffix)
Latin Martius mensis “month of Mars”
April
April is believed as being Aphrodite’s month. Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of love and beauty.
Old English April(is)
Latin Aprilis
Etruscan Apru
Greek Aphro, short for Aphrodite.
May
The name of this month is derived from the French word ‘Mai’. Maia is the goddess of spring. She is supposed to be the daughter of Faunus, one of the oldest Roman deities and the wife of Vulcan.
Old French Mai
Old English Maius
Latin Maius “of Maia”
Latin Maius mensis “month of Maia”
June
June is regarded as Juno’s month. Juno is the goddess of the Roman pantheon. She symbolizes marriage and welfare of woman.
Middle English jun(e)
Old French juin
Old English junius
Latin Junius “of Juno”
Latin Junius mensis “month of Juno”
July
It was originally known as Quintilis. When Julius Caesar updated the Roman calendar, he renamed this month after his own name.
Middle English Julie
Latin Julius “Julius”
Latin Julius mensis “month of Julius”
Latin quintilis mensis “fifth month”
August
This month is named in honor of Augustus Caesar, who reformed the calendar of Julius Caesar, and named this month from his own name.
Latin Augustus “Augustus”
Latin Augustus mensis “month of Augustus”
Latin sextilis mensis “sixth month”
September
The meaning of the Latin word, ‘septem’ is ‘seven’. The word ‘septimus’ means ‘seventh’. Originally, September was the seventh month of the calendar.
Middle English septembre
Latin September
Latin septem “seven” + -ber (adj. suffix)
Latin september mensis “seventh month”
October
October was the eighth month of the old Roman calendar. It is linked with autumn in the Northern hemisphere, while it is associated with the spring season in the Southern hemisphere.
Middle English octobre
Latin October
Latin octo “eight” + -ber (adj. suffix)
Latin october mensis “eighth month”
November
The word November has been derived from the Latin word ‘novem’, meaning nine. Its name remained intact even after January and February were added to the Roman calendar.
Middle English Novembre
Latin November
Latin Novembris mensis “nineth month”
December
This month derives its name from the Latin word ‘decem’ that means ‘ten’.
Middle English decembre
Old French decembre
Latin december “tenth month”
Latin decem “ten” + -ber (adj. suffix)
The Seven-Day Week and the Meanings of the Names of the Days
The Naming of the Days
The Greeks named the days week after the sun, the moon and the five known planets, which were in turn named after the gods Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Romans substituted their equivalent gods for the Greek gods, Mars, Mercury, Jove (Jupiter), Venus, and Saturn. The Germanic peoples generally substituted roughly similar gods for the Roman gods, Tiu (Twia), Woden, Thor, Freya (Fria), but did not substitute Saturn.
Sunday—Sun’s day
Middle English sone(n)day or sun(nen)day
Old English sunnandæg “day of the sun”
Germanic sunnon-dagaz “day of the sun”
Latin dies solis “day of the sun”
Ancient Greek hemera heli(o)u, “day of the sun”
Monday—Moon’s day
Middle English monday or mone(n)day
Old English mon(an)dæg “day of the moon”
Latin dies lunae “day of the moon”
Ancient Greek hemera selenes “day of the moon”
Tuesday—Tiu’s day
Middle English tiwesday or tewesday
Old English tiwesdæg “Tiw’s (Tiu’s) day”
Latin dies Martis “day of Mars”
Ancient Greek hemera Areos “day of Ares”
Wednesday—Woden’s day
Middle English wodnesday, wednesday, or wednesdai
Old English wodnesdæg “Woden’s day”
Latin dies Mercurii “day of Mercury”
Ancient Greek hemera Hermu “day of Hermes”
Woden is the chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the leader of the Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod “violently insane” + -en “headship”. He is identified with the Norse Odin.
Thursday—Thor’s day
Middle English thur(e)sday
Old English thursdæg
Old Norse thorsdagr “Thor’s day”
Old English thunresdæg “thunder’s day”
Latin dies Jovis “day of Jupiter”
Ancient Greek hemera Dios “day of Zeus”..
Friday—Freya’s day
Middle English fridai
Old English frigedæg “Freya’s day”
composed of Frige (genetive singular of Freo) + dæg “day” (most likely)
or composed of Frig “Frigg” + dæg “day” (least likely)
Germanic frije-dagaz “Freya’s (or Frigg’s) day”
Latin dies Veneris “Venus’s day”
Ancient Greek hemera Aphrodites “day of Aphrodite”
Saturday—Saturn’s day
Middle English saterday
Old English sæter(nes)dæg “Saturn’s day”
Latin dies Saturni “day of Saturn”
Ancient Greek hemera Khronu “day of Cronus”
Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled the earth during an age of happiness and virtue.
Resources for The Months of the Year and Days of the Week
Teaching Lesson plans for the days of the week and lesson plans for the months of the year
William Morris, editor, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New College Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1976
Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Portland House, New York, 1989
William Matthew O’Neil, Time and the Calendars, Sydney University Press, 1975
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