Celtic Calendar - Native Calendar Terms in The Celtic Languages

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) 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

Read more about this topic:  Celtic Calendar

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