Influences on the English language: the origins of our calendar’s days and months

Have you ever looked at a calendar and wondered about the origins of the names we use for our days and months? Studying the etymology of the English language offers a fascinating insight into the range of cultures which have influenced Britain and Ireland throughout history. 

Months

January is derived from the Latin for the “month of Janus” the Roman god of gates and doorways.  He is depicted as a god with two faces looking in opposite directions.

February is named after the Roman festival of purification: Februa.

March used to be the beginning of the calendar year and was the time when tribes would resume wars.  March is therefore named after the Roman god of war, Mars.

April introduces a possible Greek influence on the calendar as it is thought to be derived from Aphro which is short for Aphrodite – the Greek goddess of love and beauty. However, some believe it is derived from the Latin “aperire” which means “to open” and reflects the time of year when buds open.

May celebrates the Roman goddess of earth, honour and reverence, Maia, who was the daughter of Faunus and wife of Vulcan.

June is derived from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and the well-being of women, wife of Jupiter, and queen of the heavens.

July is named after Julius Caesar who reformed the calendar in 46 BC (hence the Julian calendar) and decided to name a month after himself.

August is named after Augustus Caesar, Julius Caesar’s adopted son and Rome’s first emperor. 

September derives from the Latin for seven “septem” and was the seventh month of the year in the old ten-month Roman calendar. In 700 BC the Roman King Numa Pompilius added January and February to the beginning of the year, but didn’t change the names for the last four months of the year.

October – “octo” is Latin for eight and indicates the eighth month. 

November – the ninth month of the year from the Latin “Novembris”.

December is Latin for the tenth month.

Days

Sunday originates from the Old English sunnandæg or Germanic sunnon-dagaz which means “the day of the sun”.  It could also be derived from the pagan Roman holiday dies solis “sun day”.

Monday is derived from the Old English mon-an-dæg “day of the moon”.

Tuesday (Tiu’s day) is named after Tiu (Twia) the Germanic god of war and sky (also connected to the Norse god Tyr) who would come down with his angels after a battle and take the fallen warriors to heaven.

Wednesday is named after Woden, Woden’s day, who was the Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god of the wild hunt (Odin in Norse mythology).  He controlled all other gods. Woden wore out one of his eyes in his number one pursuit of gaining knowledge and wisdom. 

Thursday celebrates the Norse god of Thunder – Thor.

Friday is named after Freya, the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity.  In Norse mythology she is identified as the goddess Freya, wife of Odin. 

Saturday is derived from the Old English sæter-nes-dæg “Saturn’s day” who was the Roman god of agriculture who ruled the Earth during a time of happiness and virtue.

As can be seen from the above, English was heavily influenced by Germanic tribes from around the North Sea which became Anglo-Saxon (Old English), which in turn was influenced by Viking settlers.  The Norman invasion in 1066 brought us Middle English and became recognisable as Modern English from around the 15th century (the Renaissance) during which time words were adopted from Latin and Greek.  The old British Celtic languages are thought to have had some influence on the language’s evolution, including possibly the continuous verb forms (i.e.  I am working, he is talking).  All these factors help explain why English grammar and spelling seem so complex and variable, so don’t feel bad if you make the odd spelling mistake or can’t quite remember all the grammar rules – the English language is a rich but complicated linguistic challenge.