From: "Shigemichi Yazawa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>ろ〇〇〇〇 ろ〇〇〇 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Month names. Month names. Who needs month names, anyway? Do we name the >> hours of the day? Do we name the days *within* each month? Tell the >> Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans that THEY need month names.
>Japan has (or had) month names. 睦月, 如月, etc. Here's a more complete (but probably not exhaustive) list. By the way, these are the lunar months, not the solar ones, so calling them "January" "February" etc. isn't necessarily appropriate. January 睦月 [mutuki "harmonious month"], 睦び月 [mutubiduki], and 睦 びの月 [mutubi no tuki] February 如月 [kisaragi] 衣更着 [kinusaragi] March 弥生 [yayoi from iyaoi] April 卯月 [uduki] May 皐月・早月 [satuki "early month"] and 早苗月 [sanaeduki "young seedlings month] June 水無月 [minaduki "waterless month" from 水な月 corresponding to 水の月 "water month"] July 文月 [fumiduki or fuduki "letter month?"] August 葉月 [haduki "month of leaves" September 長月 [nagatuki "long month"], 菊月 [kikuduki "chrysanthemum month"], 色取月 [irodoriduki "month of color change"] October 神無月 [kaminaduki "godless month" probably coming from 神な 月 ->神の月 "month of god" like in June] November 霜月 [simotuki "frost month"] December 師走 [siwasu] and 臘月 [rougetu "month at end of year"; from a ceremony occuring after the winter solstice] (/tu/ corresponds to つ, /du/ to づ, and /si/ to し. I'm aware that this romanization system is not preferred by many.) >Japan also had names of time. 子の刻, 丑の刻, etc. Old time system was based on 12 "units" per day, each corresponding to two modern hours. Add の刻 "hour of" to each. 子 [ne] Hour of the Rat 11PM-1AM 丑 [usi] Hour of the Ox 1AM-3AM 寅 [tora] Hour of the Tiger 3AM-5AM 卯 [u] Hour of the Hare 5AM-7AM 辰 [tatu] Hour of the Dragon 7AM-9AM 巳 [mi] Hour of the Snake 9AM-11AM 午 [uma] Hour of the Horse 11AM-1PM 羊 [hituji] Hour of the Sheep 1PM-3PM 申 [saru] Hour of the Monkey 3PM-5PM 酉 [tori] Hour of the Cock 5PM-7PM 戌 [inu] Hour of the Dog 7PM-9PM 亥 [i] Hour of the Boar 9PM-11PM Ben Monroe 門龍弁 (I write it with 龍 stuck inside of 門 but since it's only a personal preference, I suppose I'll never be able to type it that way.)
