Native Calendar Terms in The Celtic Languages
Many calendrical and time-keeping terms used in the medieval and modern Celtic languages were borrowed from Latin and reflect the influence of Roman culture and Christianity on the Insular Celts. The words borrowed include the month names Januarius (Old Irish Enáir, Welsh Ionawr), Februarius (Old Irish Febra, Welsh Chwefror), Martius (Old Irish Mart, Welsh Mawrth), Aprilius (Old Irish Apréil, Welsh Ebrill), Maius (Welsh Mai), Augustus (Old Irish Auguist, Welsh Awst); the names for the days of the week, dies Solis, Lunae, Martis, Mercurii, Jovis, Veneris, Saturni; the terms septimana "week" (Breton sizun, Cornish seithum), kalendae "first day of the month" (Old Irish callann, Welsh calan, Breton kala), tempore "time" (Welsh tymor), matutina "morning" (Cornish metin), vespera "evening", nona "noon" (Welsh nawn), and ôra "hour" (Welsh awr, Breton eur).
A number of native Celtic terms survived the adoption of the Roman/Christian calendar, however:
| Term | Proto-Celtic | Gaulish | Old Irish/Middle Irish | Scottish Gaelic | Manx | Welsh | Cornish | Breton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day / 24-hour period | *latįon | lat (abbreviation, Coligny Calendar) | la(i)the | là, latha | laa | |||
| Day | *diį- | (sin)diu (to)day | dia | dia | je | dydd | dydh | deiz |
| Night | *nokWt-, *ad-akWi-(?) | (tri)nox "(3)-night, (decam)noct- "(10)-night-" | nocht, adaig | nochd, oidhche | noght, oie | noeth (in compounds), nos | neth (comp.), nos | neiz (comp.), noz |
| Week (eight nights/days) | *oktu-nokWt- / *oktu-diį- | wythnos "8-nights" | eizhteiz "8-days" | |||||
| Fortnight | *kWenkWe-decam-nokWt- | cóicthiges "15 (days)" | cola-deug (doig latha deug "15 days" | pythefnos "15 days" | pemzektez | |||
| Month | *mīss- | mid (read *miđ) | mí | mìos | mee | mis | mis | miz |
| Year | *bl(e)id-anī- | bis (abbreviation, Coligny Calendar) | bliadain | bliadhna | blein | blwydd, blwyddyn | bledhen | bloavezh, bloaz |
| Season, Period of Time | *ammn, *ammn-stero-, *ratio-, *pritu- | amman | amm, aimser, ráithe | àm, aimsir | imbagh, emsher | amser, pryd | amser | amzer |
| Winter | *gijamo | giamo- | gem, gemred | geamhradh | geurey | gaeaf | gwav | goañv |
| Spring | *ers-āko "end (of winter)" (alt. *uesr-āko "spring"), *ues-ant-ēn-, *ro-bertiā ("torrent, inundation") | earrach, robarta | earrach | arragh | gwanwyn, (Old Welsh) ribirthi | gwainten | reverzi (Old Breton rebirthi) | |
| Summer | *samo- | samo- | sam, samrad | samhradh | sourey | haf | hav | hañv |
| Autumn | *uφo-gijam-r- "under wintertime", *kintu-gijamo "beginning of winter", *sito- "deer-"(?) | fogamur | foghar | fouyr | cynhaeaf, hydref | kydnyav/kynyav, hedra, | here, diskar-amzer ("falling season") | |
| May, May Day | *kintu-samVn- (V=indeterminate vowel) "beginning of summer" | Cétamain | Cèitean | Cyntefin | ||||
| June, Midsummer | *medio-samVn- (V=indeterminate vowel) "mid-summer" | Mithem(on) | Mehefin | Metheven | Mezeven |
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