http://www.yashanet.com/library/secular-weekdays.html
The Origins of the Secular Names for the Days of the Week
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We saw how the Hebrew weekdays have no names (except Shabbat). The secular
weekday names, however, have very different and unbiblical origins. Every day
name is associated with a planet and a pagan god.
Abbreviations of Languages Used
Dan. - Danish L. - Latin
D. - Dutch or Belgic Sax. - Saxon or Anglo-Saxon
Fr. - French Sp. - Spanish
G. - German Sw. - Swedish
Ir. - Irish, Hiberno-Celtic, and Gaelic W. - Welsh
It. - Italian
The information (shown in black) in the "Origins of Name" column comes from
Noah Webster's original 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language.
Weekday
Planet
God Name
Origins of Name
Sunday Sun
Sun god [Sax. sunna-dæg; G. sonntag; D. zondag; Dan. söndag; Sw.
sondag; so called because this day was anciently dedicated to the sun, or to
its worship.]
The first day of the week.
Monday Moon
Moon god [Sax. monandæg; D. maandag; G. nontag; moon and day; being
formerly sacred to that planet.] The second day of the week.
Tuesday Mars
Tiw [Sw. Tisdag; Dan. Tirsdag; D. Dingsdag; G. Dingstag; Sax.
Tiwæsdæg or Tuesdæg, from Tig, Tiig, or Tuisco, the Mars of our ancestors, the
deity that presided over combats, strife and litigation. Hence Tuesday is court
day, assize day; the day for combat or commencing litigation.
The third day of the week.
Wednesday Mercury
Woden [Sax. Wodensdæg; Woden's day; Sw. Odenstag or Onsdag; from
Wodin or Odin, a deity or chief among the northern nations of Europe.]
The fourth day of the week.
Thursday Jupiter
Thor [Dan. Torsdag, that is, Thor's day, the day consecrated to
Thor, the god of thunder answering to the Jove of the Greeks and Romans, L.
dies Jovis; It. Giovedi; Sp. Jueves; Fr. Jeudi. So in G. donnerstag, D.
donderdag, thunderday. This Thor is from the root of W. taran, thunder; taraw,
to strike, hit or produce a shock; Gaelic, Ir. toirn, a great noise; toirneas,
thunder. The root of the word signifies to drive, to fush, to strike. In Sw.
thorndon is thunder.]
The fifth day of the week
Friday Venus
goddess Frigg or Freia [Sax. frig-dæg; G. freitag; D. vrydag; from
Frigga, the Venus of the north; D. vrouw, G. frau, Ir. frag, a woman.]
The sixth day of the week, formerly consecrated to Frigga.
Saturday Saturn
Roman god Saturn [Sax. Sæter-dag; D. Saturdag; Saturn's day.]
The last day of the week; the day next preceding the sabbath.
The day of the Sabbath.
By Yehoshua ben Avraham
YashaNet Staff
March, 2003 . Adar II, 5763
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http://www.yashanet.com/library/secular-months.html
The Origins of the Secular Names for the Months of the Year
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In this case only a few of the names of the months are associated with certain
gods or personalities, whereas the others simply come from Latin origins to
indicate the order (number) in which it appeared in the old Roman calendar.
Abbreviations of Languages Used
Arm. - Armoric L. - Latin
Corn. - Cornish Port. - Portuguese
Eng. - English Russ. - Russian
Fr. - French Sax. - Saxon or Anglo-Saxon
Ir. - Irish, Hiberno-Celtic, and Gaelic Sp. - Spanish
It. - Italian W. - Welsh
The information in the "Origins of Name" column comes from Noah Webster's
original 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language.
Month
Name of
God or
Personality
Origins of Name
January Roman god Janus [Ir. gionbhar or gionvar; Russ. genvar; Fr.
janvier; It. gennaio; Sp. enero; Port. janeiro; L. januarius. It is evident
from the Irish and Russian words, that the first syllable of January, is from
the root of L. geno, to beget, Eng. to begin, Sax. aginnan. Var is said to
signify a revolution. January then signifies the beginning, or first month.
Janus is probably from the same root.]
The first month of the year, according to the present computation.
At the foundation of Rome, March was considered the first month. January and
February were introduced by Numa Pompilius.
February [L. Februarius; Fr. Fevrier; It. Febbraio; Sp. Febrero;
Arm. Fevrer; Port. Fevereiro; Ir. Feabhra; Russ. Phebral. The Latin word is
said to be named from februo, to purify by sacrifice, and thus to signify the
month of purification, as the people were, in this month, purified by
sacrifices and oblations. The word februo is said to be a Sabine word,
connected with ferveo, ferbeo, to boil, as boiling was used in purifications.
This practice bears a resemblance to that of making atonement
amoung the Jews; but the connection between ferveo and February is doubtful.]
The name of the second month of the year.
March Roman god Mars [L. Mars, the god of war.]
The third month of the year.
April [L. aprilis; Fr. avril; Sp. abril; Ir. abrail; Corn.
ebril; W. ebrill.]
The fourth month of the year.
May Greek goddess Maia [L. Maius; Fr. Mai; It. Maggio; Sp. Mayo.]
The fifth month of the year, beginning with January, but the third
beginning with March, as was the ancient practice of the Romans.
June Roman god Juno [L. junius; Fr. juin; It. giugno; Sp. junio.]
The sixth month of the year, when the sun enters the sign Cancer.
July Roman emperor Julius Caesar The seventh month of the year,
during which the sun enters the sign Leo. It is so called from Julius, the
surname of Caius Cesar, who was born in this month. Before that time, this
month was called Quintilis, or the fifth month, according to the old Roman
calendar, in which March was the first month of the year.
August Roman emperor Augustus Caesar [L. augustus. The first
sylable of this word is probably from the root of augeo, or of awe.]
The eighth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. The old
Roman name was Sextilis, the sixth month from March, the month in which the
primitive Romans, as well as Jews, began the year. The name was changed to
August in honor of the Emperor Octavius Augustus, on account of his victories,
and his entering on his first consulate in that month.
September [L. from septem, seven; Fr. septembre; It. settembre;
Sp. septiembre.]
The seventh month from March, which was formerly the first month of
the year. September is now the ninth month of the year.
October [L. from octo, eighth; the eighth month of the primitive
Roman year which began in March.]
The tenth month of the year in our calendar, which follows that of
Numa and Julius Cesar.
November [L. from novem, nine; the ninth month, according to the
ancient Roman year, beginning in March.]
The eleventh month of the year.
December [L. december, from decem, ten; this being the tenth
month among the early Romans, who began the year in March.]
The last month in the year, in which the sun enters the tropic of
Capricorn, and makes the winter solstice.
By Yehoshua ben Avraham
YashaNet Staff
March, 2003 . Adar II, 5763
