Table of Contents
Introduction
Calendars are more than just tools for keeping track of dates—they are windows into history, language, and culture. From the days of the week to the months, seasons, and holidays, many calendar terms have fascinating origins.
In this post, we’ll explore a complete list of calendar-related words and uncover the stories behind them.
Whether you’re a language enthusiast, history lover, or simply curious, this guide will help you understand the origins of calendar terms.
Before looking at the origins of the month names, let’s first explore the etymology of the word calendar itself.
Origin of the Term Calendar
The word calendar comes from the Latin calendarium, meaning “account book.” It is derived from calendae, the first day of each month in the Roman calendar, when debts were traditionally due and recorded. Over time, the term shifted from referring to financial records to the system of organizing days, months, and years.
Types of Calendars
Throughout history, different cultures have developed calendars to organize time, track seasons, and mark religious or social events. While some are based on the movement of the sun, others follow the moon or a combination of both. Below are some of the most influential calendars still in use today.
- Gregorian Calendar: The Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is the most widely used calendar today. It corrected inaccuracies in the Julian calendar by adjusting leap years to better align with the solar year.
- Julian Calendar: The Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE, introduced the concept of leap years. However, it slightly miscalculated the solar year, causing dates to drift over time.
- Islamic (Hijri) Calendar: The Islamic calendar is lunar, based on the cycles of the moon. It has 12 months and 354 or 355 days. Important events such as Ramadan and Hajj are set by this calendar.
- Chinese Calendar: The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, combining lunar months with solar terms. It is used to determine traditional festivals like the Lunar New Year and is structured around a 12-year zodiac cycle.
- Hebrew Calendar: The Hebrew calendar is also lunisolar, used mainly for Jewish religious observances. It includes leap months to keep holidays aligned with the seasons.
Origins of Calendar Terms: Words Related to the Calendar
A. Days of the Week
| Day | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|
| Monday | Old English Monandæg, “Moon’s day” |
| Tuesday | Old English Tiwesdæg, named after the Norse god Tyr |
| Wednesday | Old English Wodnesdæg, “Woden’s day” (Norse god Odin) |
| Thursday | Old English Þūnresdæg, “Thor’s day” |
| Friday | Old English Frīgedæg, “Frigg’s day” (Norse goddess) |
| Saturday | Old English Sæterdæg, “Saturn’s day” |
| Sunday | Old English Sunnandæg, “Sun’s day” |
B. Months of the Year
| Month | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|
| January | From Janus, Roman god of beginnings |
| February | From Latin februarius, month of purification |
| March | From Mars, Roman god of war |
| April | Possibly from Latin aperire, “to open” (flowers) |
| May | From Maia, Roman goddess of fertility |
| June | From Juno, Roman goddess of marriage |
| July | Named after Julius Caesar |
| August | Named after Emperor Augustus |
| September | From Latin septem, “seven” |
| October | From Latin octo, “eight” |
| November | From Latin novem, “nine” |
| December | From Latin decem, “ten” |
C. Seasons
| Season | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|
| Spring | From Old English springan, “to leap, burst forth” |
| Summer | Old English sumor, related to warmth |
| Autumn / Fall | Latin autumnus, “harvest season”; “fall” = falling leaves |
| Winter | Old English winter, possibly “wet season” |
D. Holidays and Special Days
| Term | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|
| Christmas | From Old English Cristes mæsse, “Christ’s Mass” |
| Easter | From Old English Ēastre, a pagan spring festival |
| Ramadan | Arabic ramadān, month of fasting |
| Leap Day | Extra day added every 4 years to adjust the calendar |
| Solstice | Latin solstitium, “sun standing still” |
| Equinox | Latin aequus + nox, “equal night” |
E. Other Calendar Terms
| Term | Origin / Meaning |
|---|---|
| Leap Year | Year with an extra day to align with the solar calendar |
| Fortnight | Old English feowertyne niht, “fourteen nights” |
| Calendar | Latin calendarium, “account book” (from calendae, first day of the month) |
Calendar Term Origins: Detailed Explanations for All Terms
Now, let’s dive deeper into the origins and history behind every calendar term.
Days of the Week
- Monday: Named after the Moon. In Old English, Monandæg literally means “Moon’s day.” Many languages, like French (lundi), also reflect lunar origins.
- Tuesday: From Old English Tiwesdæg, honoring Tyr, the Norse god of war and law. Latin-based languages call it “Mars’ day” (Tuesday = Martes in Spanish).
- Wednesday: From Wodnesdæg, “Woden’s day.” Odin (Woden) was the chief Norse god associated with wisdom.
- Thursday: From Þūnresdæg, “Thor’s day.” Thor was the Norse god of thunder.
- Friday: From Frīgedæg, “Frigg’s day.” Frigg, the Norse goddess, was associated with love and fertility.
- Saturday: From Sæterdæg, “Saturn’s day.” Saturn was a Roman god of agriculture and wealth.
- Sunday: From Sunnandæg, “Sun’s day,” honoring the Sun. Many languages, like Spanish (domingo), link the day to religious practices instead.
Months of the Year
- January: Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings, symbolizes looking back and forward.
- February: Derived from februa, a Roman purification ritual held this month.
- March: Named after Mars, Roman god of war, marking the start of the military campaign season.
- April: Possibly from Latin aperire, “to open,” referring to blooming flowers.
- May: From Maia, a Roman goddess of growth and fertility.
- June: Named for Juno, goddess of marriage and women.
- July: Honors Julius Caesar, who reformed the Roman calendar.
- August: Named for Emperor Augustus.
- September – December: Named for their original numeric position in the Roman calendar (septem = 7, octo = 8, etc.) before January and February were added.
Seasons
- Spring: From Old English springan, meaning to leap or burst forth, symbolizing new life.
- Summer: From Old English sumor, denoting warmth and growth.
- Autumn / Fall: Latin autumnus refers to harvest; “fall” describes leaves falling.
- Winter: Possibly from Old English winter, related to wet or cold seasons.
Holidays and Special Days
- Christmas: Old English Cristes mæsse = Christ’s Mass. Celebrated from early medieval times.
- Easter: From Old English Ēastre, a festival linked to a pagan spring goddess.
- Ramadan: From Arabic ramadān, derived from ramad, meaning scorching heat; fasting during this month purifies the soul.
- Leap Day / Leap Year: Introduced by Julius Caesar to align the calendar with the solar year.
- Solstice: Latin solstitium, “sun standing still,” marking the longest and shortest days of the year.
- Equinox: Latin aequus + nox = “equal night,” when day and night are roughly the same length.
Other Calendar Terms
- Leap Year: Every four years, one extra day is added to February to synchronize the calendar year with the solar year.
- Fortnight: Old English feowertyne niht, literally “fourteen nights,” commonly used in British English.
- Calendar: From Latin calendarium, an account book, from calendae, the first day of each month in the Roman calendar when debts were due.
- Decade: From Greek dekas = “ten,” meaning a period of ten years.
- Century: From Latin centuria = “a group of one hundred,” meaning a period of one hundred years.
- Millennium: From Latin mille (thousand) + annus (year), meaning one thousand years.
- Era: From Latin aera, meaning “a fixed point in time” used for reckoning dates.
- Epoch: From Greek epokhē = “a fixed point in time.” Often used in science and history to mark a significant period.
- Quarter: From Latin quartarius = “fourth part,” used for three-month divisions of a year.
- Semester: From Latin sex (six) + mensis (month), meaning a period of six months.
- Biweekly: From Latin prefix bi- (two) + weekly, meaning occurring every two weeks (though sometimes confusingly used for twice a week).
- Anniversary: From Latin annus (year) + versus (turning), meaning “the yearly return of a date.”
- Sol/Lunar Calendar: “Solar” comes from Latin sol = sun, and “lunar” from Latin luna = moon, describing calendars based on the sun or moon cycles.
Conclusion
Calendars carry centuries of history, language, and culture. From the days of the week to months, seasons, holidays, and special terms, every word has a story. Understanding these calendar term origins enriches your language knowledge and gives insight into the cultures that shaped our measurement of time.
FAQs
Where did the term calendar come from?
The word calendar comes from the Latin calendarium, meaning “account book.” It derives from calendae, the first day of each month in the Roman calendar, when debts were traditionally due.
How did the 12 months get their names?
Most month names come from Roman gods, leaders, or numbers:
1. January – Named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions.
2. February – From Februa, Roman purification rituals held this month.
3. March – Named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
4. April – Likely from Latin aperire (“to open”), referring to the opening of buds in spring.
5. May – Named after Maia, goddess of growth and fertility.
6. June – From Juno, goddess of marriage and women.
7. July – Renamed in honor of Julius Caesar (previously Quintilis = “fifth month”).
8. August – Named after Emperor Augustus (previously Sextilis = “sixth month”).
9. September – From Latin septem (“seven”). It was the 7th month in the old Roman calendar before January and February were added.
10. October – From Latin octo (“eight”). Originally the 8th month.
11. November – From Latin novem (“nine”). Originally the 9th month.
12. December – From Latin decem (“ten”). Originally the 10th month.
Why did October 1582 skip 10 days?
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian calendar. To realign the calendar with the solar year, 10 days were skipped—so October 4, 1582, was followed by October 15, 1582.
What was the 13th month called?
In some calendar proposals, such as the International Fixed Calendar, the 13th month was called Sol. Ancient cultures also had extra months occasionally added as “intercalary months” to align lunar and solar years, but no single name was universally used.
