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The early Germanic calendars were the regional calendars used among the early Germanic peoples before they adopted the Julian calendar in the Early Middle Ages. The calendars were an element of early Germanic culture.

Common Germanic

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Contrary to the Romans, who reckoned the passing of time by days, early Germanic tribes counted them by nights, basing themselves on the state of the moon. This is evidenced by a testimony from Tacitus in Germania and by linguistic survivals such as the English fortnight and German Weihnachten.[1]

The Germani adopted the method of counting by days and the idea of the seven-day week from the Romans, probably due to early legal, military and trading contacts: "payment or delivery had to be made by a certain day, fines or taxes were to be met by a fixed time ­limit".[1]

"Gothic seems to have been exposed to early influence of the Greek Church in its terminology."[1]

The lunisolar calendar is reflected in the Proto-Germanic term for 'month', *mēnōþz, which is related to the word for 'moon', *mēnōn or *mēnan.[2][3]

Lexicon

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Proto-Germanic Modern English Old English Old Frisian Old Saxon Old/Middle Dutch Old High German Old Norse Gothic Notes References
*jēran year gear jēr jār jār jār ár jēr From the PIE root *ieh₁r- ('year, season'). [4][5] OED 'year'
*mēnōþz month monað mōnath mānuth maent mānōd mánuðr menoþs A uniquely Germanic t-stem related to PGmc *mēnon ('moon'), and corresponding to the PIE s-stem *meh₁n-os ('moon; month'). [2][3] OED 'month', GAO 'Monate'
*wikōn week wice wike -wika weke wehha vika wiko From PGmc *wīk(w)anan ('to turn away, give way'), or from PGmc *wikō(ja)nan ('to shift'). [6][5] OED 'week'
*dagaz day dæg deg- dag dach tag dagr dags From an earlier *dʰoǵʰos, from PIE *dʰegʷʰ- ('to burn'). [7][8] OED 'day'
*dōg(er)az a full day dōgor – – – – dœgr (fidur-)dogs? From PGmc *dagaz. [9][10]
*nahtz night næht nacht naht nacht naht nátt nahts From the PIE root *nekʷt- ('night') [11][12] OED 'night'
*tīdiz time (period of) tīd tīd tīd tīd zīt tíð – From an earlier *dh₂i-tí-, from the PIE root *dh₂-ei- ('to divide'). [13][14] OED 'tide'
*tīmōn time (period of) tīma – – – (Alem. zīmə) tími – From an earlier *dh₂i-mon-, built on the same PIE root as *tīdiz but with a different suffix. [15][16] OED 'time'
*wentruz Winter winter winter wintar winter wintar vetr wintrus Uncertain etymology. [17][18] OED 'winter'
*wēran (~ wazra-) Spring1 – wars – – – vár – From PIE *uósr- ('Spring'). [19][20]
*langatīnaz Spring2 lencten – lenten lentin- lenzin- – – PGmc *langa- ('long) + an unclear suffix (probably a Germanic base with the sense 'day'; cf. Goth. sin-teins 'daily', sin-teino 'always') [15] OED 'lenten'
*sumaraz Summer sumer sumur sumar sōmer sumar sumarr – From an earlier *smH-oros, from the PIE root *s(e)mH- ('half year, season'). [21][22] OED 'summer'
*harƀistaz Autumn hærfest herfst hervest (MLG) herfst herbist haust – From PGmc *harbjanan ('to pluck, harvest'), itself from the PIE root *kerp-, which has the same meaning. [23][24] OED 'harvest'

Days and weeks

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In most cases the Germanic names have substituted for the Roman god's name that of a comparable one from the Germanic pantheon, except in the case of Saturday, where the Roman name was retained and borrowed.

Proto-Germanic days
Day Deity Latin Modern English Old English Old Frisian Middle Dutch Middle Low German Old High German Old Norse References
*Sunnandag *Sunnōn dies Solis Sunday Sunnandæg Sunnandei Sonnendach Sunnendach Sunnūntag Sunnudagr [25] OED
*Mēnandag *Mēnōn dies Lunae Monday Mōnandæg Mōnandei Mānendach Mānendach Mānetag Mánadagr [26] OED
*Tīwasdag *Tīwaz dies Martis Tuesday Tīwesdæg Tīesdei Dinxendach Dingesdach Ziestag Týsdagr [27][28][29] OED
*Wōdanesdag *Wōđanaz dies Mercurii Wednesday Wōdnesdæg Wērnisdei Woensdach Wōdensdach Wōdanstag Óðinsdagr [30][31] OED
*Þonaresdag *Þunraz dies Iovis Thursday Þunresdæg Thunresdei Donresdach – Donarestag Þórsdagr [32][33] OED
*Frijjadag *Frijjō dies Veneris Friday Frīgedæg Frīadei Vriendach Vrīdach Frīatag Frjádagr [34][35] OED
*Saturnasdag – dies Saturni Saturday Sæter(nes)dæg Sāterdei Saterdach Sātersdach – Laugardagr [36] OED

Months

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Several Proto-Germanic months can be reconstructed:

Proto-Germanic months
Month Julian equivalent Root West Germanic Old Norse Gothic References
*jēra-mēnōþz ≈ January *jēran ('year') jār-mānōd (OHG) ár-mánaðr – [37]
*harƀistu-mēnōþz ≈ September *harƀistaz ('autumn') hærfest-mōnað (OE); herbistmanoth (Frank.); herbist-mānōd (OHG) haust-mánuðr – [38]
*jehwla-mēnōþz, *jehwlaz ≈ December *jehwlan ('Yule') gēol-mōnað, gīuli (OE) jól-mánuðr, ýlir jiuleis [39][37]

North Germanic

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Norse Germanic months
Old Norse Icelandic Norwegian Danish Julian equivalent References
Þorri Þorri Gjødsletid Glugmåned January
Gói Góa Kvinnfolk Blidemåned February
Einmánuðr Einmánuður Mannfolk Tordmåned March
Gaukmánuðr, Sáðtið Harpa Gjøkmåned Fåremåned April
Eggtið, Stekktið Skerpla Egg, Lam Vårmåned May
Sólmánuðr, Selmánuðr Sólmánuður Den varme Skærsommer June
Heyannir, Miðsumar Heyannir Ormemåned Ormemåned July
Tvímánuðr, Kornskurðarmánuðr Tvímánuður Dobbelmåned Høstmåned August
Haustmánuðr Haustmánuður Høstmåned Fiskemåned September
Gormánuðr Gormánuður Slaktemåned Sædemåned October
Ýlir, Frermánuðr Ýlir Julemåned Slagtemåned November
Jólmánuðr, Mörsugr, Hrútmánuðr Mörsugur Margsuger, Fettsuger Julemåned December

West Germanic

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West Germanic months
Julian equivalent Anglo-Saxon West Saxon Old Frankish Old Dutch OHG References
January Giuli Æfterra Geola Later Yule Wintarmanoth Wintarmānōth Wintarmānōd Winter-month
February Solmonath Solmonað Sol-month Hornung Horningmānōth Hornung Bastard?
March Hredmonath Hreðmonað Hreth-month Lenzinmanoth Lentinmānōth Lenzinmānōd Spring-month
April Eosturmonath Eastermonað Easter-month Ostarmanoth Ōstermānōth Ōstarmānōd Easter-month
May Thrimilchi Ðrimilce three-milkings Winnemanoth Winnemānōth Winnimānōd Pasture-month
June Lida Ærra Liða Earlier Litha Brachmanoth Brākmānōth Brāhmānōd Plough-month
July Lida Æfterra Liða Later Litha Hewimanoth Houwimānōth Hewimānōd Hay-month
August Weodmonath Weodmonað Weed-month Aranmanoth Aranmānōth Aranmānōd Harvest-month
September Halegmonath Haligmonað Holy-month Witumanoth Widumānōth Witumānōd Wood-month
October Winterfilleth Winterfylleð Winter-full-moon Windumemanoth Wīnthumemānōth Windumemānōd Wine-month
November Blodmonath Blotmonað Blood-month Herbistmanoth Hervistmānoth Herbistmānōd Autumn-month
December Giuli Ærra Geola Earlier Yule Heilagmanoth Heilmānōth Hartimānōd Holy-month/Hard-month


>>>> Austro-mēnōþz (Easter-month), Hailaga-mēnōþz (Holy-month)

See also

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Notes and citations

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  1. ^ a b c Green 2000, p. 236.
  2. ^ a b Orel 2003, p. 270.
  3. ^ a b Kroonen 2013, p. 365.
  4. ^ Orel 2003, p. 206.
  5. ^ a b Kroonen 2013, p. 586.
  6. ^ Orel 2003, p. 462.
  7. ^ Orel 2003, p. 66.
  8. ^ Kroonen 2013, pp. 86–87.
  9. ^ Orel 2003, p. 73.
  10. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 97.
  11. ^ Orel 2003, p. 279.
  12. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 381.
  13. ^ Orel 2003, p. 407.
  14. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 516.
  15. ^ a b Orel 2003, p. 408.
  16. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 517.
  17. ^ Orel 2003, p. 455.
  18. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 588.
  19. ^ Orel 2003, p. 461.
  20. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 575.
  21. ^ Orel 2003, p. 386.
  22. ^ Kroonen 2013, pp. 491–492.
  23. ^ Orel 2003, p. 160.
  24. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 210.
  25. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 562.
  26. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 379.
  27. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 603.
  28. ^ Simek 1984, p. 413.
  29. ^ Kroonen 2013, p. 519.
  30. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 416.
  31. ^ Simek 1984, p. 298.
  32. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 618.
  33. ^ Simek 1984, p. 73.
  34. ^ de Vries 1962, p. 143.
  35. ^ Simek 1984, p. 111.
  36. ^ Sonne 2014, p. 189.
  37. ^ a b Orel 2003, pp. 205–206.
  38. ^ Orel 2003, p. 161.
  39. ^ Lehman 1986, p. 211.

Bibliography

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  • de Vries, Jan (1962). Altnordisches Etymologisches Worterbuch (1977 ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-05436-3.
  • Green, Dennis H. (2000). Language and History in the Early Germanic World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-79423-7.
  • Kroonen, Guus (2013). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Brill. ISBN 9789004183407.
  • Orel, Vladimir E. (2003). A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-12875-0.
  • Simek, Rudolf (1984). Lexikon der germanischen Mythologie. A. Kröner. ISBN 3-520-36801-3.
  • Sonne, Lasse C. A. (2014). "The Origin of the Seven-day Week in Scandinavia: Part 1: The Theophoric Day-names". Viking and Medieval Scandinavia. 10: 187–209. doi:10.1484/J.VMS.5.105218. ISSN 1782-7183.
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