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Names of the days of the week

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Italian cameo bracelet representing the days of the week, corresponding to the planets as Roman gods: Diana as the Moon for Monday, Mars for Tuesday, Mercury for Wednesday, Jupiter for Thursday, Venus for Friday, Saturn for Saturday, and Apollo as the Sun for Sunday. Middle 19th century, Walters Art Museum
Heptagram of the seven celestial bodies of the week

In many languages, the names given to the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astronomy, which were in turn named after contemporary deities, a system introduced by the Sumerians and later adopted by the Babylonians from whom the Roman Empire adopted the system during late antiquity.[1] In some other languages, the days are named after corresponding deities of the regional culture, beginning either with Sunday or with Monday. The seven-day week was adopted in early Christianity from the Hebrew calendar, and gradually replaced the Roman internundinum.[citation needed]

Sunday remained the first day of the week, being considered the day of the sun god Sol Invictus and the Lord's Day, while the Jewish Sabbath remained the seventh. The Babylonians invented the actual[clarification needed] seven-day week in 600 BCE, with Emperor Constantine making the Day of the Sun (dies Solis, "Sunday") a legal holiday centuries later.[2]

In the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is treated as the first day of the week, but in many countries it is counted as the second day of the week.

Days named after planets

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Greco-Roman tradition

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Between the first and third centuries CE, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. The earliest evidence for this new system is a Pompeiian graffito referring to 6 February (ante diem viii idus Februarias) of the year 60 CE as dies solis ("Sunday").[3] Another early witness is a reference to a lost treatise by Plutarch, written in about 100 CE, which addressed the question of: "Why are the days named after the planets reckoned in a different order from the 'actual' order?"[4] The treatise is lost, but the answer to the question is known; see planetary hours.[citation needed]

The Ptolemaic system of planetary spheres asserts that the order of the heavenly bodies from the farthest to the closest to the Earth is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon; objectively, the planets are ordered from slowest to fastest moving as they appear in the night sky.[5]

The days were named after the classical planets of Hellenistic astrology, in the order: Sun (Helios), Moon (Selene), Mars (Ares), Mercury (Hermes), Jupiter (Zeus), Venus (Aphrodite), and Saturn (Cronus).[6]

The seven-day week spread throughout the Roman Empire in late antiquity. By the fourth century CE, it was in wide use throughout the Empire. [citation needed]

The Greek and Latin names are as follows:

Day:
(see Irregularities)
Sunday
Sōl or Helios
(Sun)
Monday
Luna or Selene
(Moon)
Tuesday
Mars or Ares
(Mars)
Wednesday
Mercurius or Hermes
(Mercury)
Thursday
Jove or Zeus
(Jupiter)
Friday
Venus or Aphrodite
(Venus)
Saturday
Saturnus or Cronus
(Saturn)
Greek[7] ἡμέρα Ἡλίου
hēméra Hēlíou
ἡμέρα Σελήνης
hēméra Selḗnēs
ἡμέρα Ἄρεως
hēméra Áreōs
ἡμέρα Ἑρμοῦ
hēméra Hermoû
ἡμέρα Διός
hēméra Diós
ἡμέρα Ἀφροδίτης
hēméra Aphrodítēs
ἡμέρα Κρόνου
hēméra Krónou
Latin diēs Sōlis diēs Lūnae diēs Mārtis diēs Mercuriī diēs Iovis diēs Veneris diēs Sāturnī

Romance languages

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Except for in Portuguese and Mirandese, the Romance languages preserved the Latin names, except for the names of Sunday, which was replaced by [dies] Dominicus (Dominica), that is, "the Lord's Day", and of Saturday, which was named for the Jewish Sabbath. Mirandese and Portuguese use numbered weekdays, but retain sábado and demingo/domingo for weekends.[8] Meanwhile, Galician occasionally uses them alongside the traditional Latin-derived names, albeit to a lesser extent (see below).

Day
(see Irregularities)
Sunday
Sōl (Sun)
Monday
Luna (Moon)
Tuesday
Mars (Mars)
Wednesday
Mercurius (Mercury)
Thursday
Jove (Jupiter)
Friday
Venus (Venus)
Saturday
Saturnus (Saturn)
Portuguese domingo [☉1] segunda-feira terça-feira quarta-feira quinta-feira sexta-feira sábado [♄1]
Galician domingo [☉1] luns / segunda feira martes / terza feira / terceira feira mércores / corta feira / cuarta feira xoves / quinta feira venres / sexta feira sábado [♄1]
Asturian domingu [☉1] llunes martes miércoles xueves vienres sábadu [♄1]
Spanish domingo [☉1] lunes martes miércoles jueves viernes sábado [♄1]
Aragonese domenche [☉1] luns marz miercres chueus viernes sabado [♄1]
Occitan dimenge [☉1] diluns dimars dimècres dijòus divendres dissabte [♄1]
Aranese Occitan dimenge [☉1] deluns dimars dimèrcles dijaus diuendres dissabte [♄1]
Catalan diumenge [☉1] dilluns dimarts dimecres dijous divendres dissabte [♄1]
French dimanche [☉1] lundi mardi mercredi jeudi vendredi samedi [♄1]
Italian domenica [☉1] lunedì martedì mercoledì giovedì venerdì sabato [♄1]
Lombard (Milanese) domenega [☉1] lunedì martedì mercoldì giovedì venerdì sabet [♄1]
Lombard (Bresciano) duminica [☉1] lunedé martedé mercoldé gioedé venerdé sabot [♄1]
Ligurian doménga [☉1] lunedì mâtesdì mâcordì zéuggia venardì sàbbo [♄1]
Neapolitan dummeneca [☉1] lunnerì marterì miercurì gioverì viernarì sàbbatu [♄1]
Sicilian dumìnica [☉1] luni marti mèrcuri jovi vènniri sàbbatu [♄1]
Corsican dumenica [☉1] luni marti màrcuri ghjovi vènnari sàbatu [♄1]
Romanian duminică [☉1] luni marți miercuri joi vineri sâmbătă [♄1]
Venetian domenega [☉1] luni marti mèrcore zobia vénare sabo [♄1]
Sardinian domíniga,
domiga,
etc.[note 1]
lunis martis,
maltis
mélcuris,
mércunis,
etc.[note 2]
gióbia,
gioja,
etc.[note 3]
chenàbura,
cenarva,
etc.[note 4]
sàpadu,
sàuru,
etc.[note 5]
Friulian domenie [☉1] lunis martars miercus joibe vinars sabide [♄1]
Val Badia Ladin domënia lönesc mertesc,
dedolönesc
mercui,
dedemesaledema
jöbia vëndres sabeda
Gherdëina Ladin dumënia lunesc merdi mierculdi juebia vënderdi sada
Puter Romansh dumengia lündeschdi mardi marculdi gövgia venderdi sanda
Vallader Romansh dumengia lündeschdi mardi marcurdi gövgia venderdi sonda
Surmiran Romansh dumengia glindesde marde mesemda gievgia venderde sonda
Rumantsch Grischun dumengia glindesdi mardi mesemna gievgia venderdi sonda
Sursilvan Romansh dumengia gliendisdis mardis mesjamna gievgia venderdis sonda
Sutsilvan Romansh dumeingia gliendasgis margis measeanda gievgia vendargis sonda

Celtic languages

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Early Old Irish adopted the names from Latin, but introduced separate terms of Norse origin for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then later supplanted these with terms relating to church fasting practices.

Day
(see Irregularities)
Sunday
Sōl (Sun)
Monday
Luna (Moon)
Tuesday
Mars (Mars)
Wednesday
Mercurius (Mercury)
Thursday
Iuppiter (Jupiter)
Friday
Venus (Venus)
Saturday
Saturnus (Saturn)
Old Irish[9] Diu[10] srol
Dies scrol[11]
Diu luna[12] Diu mart[13] Diu iath[14] Diu eathamon[15] Diu triach[16] Diu saturn
Old Irish (later) Diu domnica Diu luna Diu mart Diu cétaín [☿2] Diu eter dib aínib [♃1] Diu aíne [♀1] Diu saturn
Irish An Domhnach [☉1]
Dé Domhnaigh
An Luan
Dé Luain
An Mháirt
Dé Máirt
An Chéadaoin [☿2]
Dé Céadaoin
An Déardaoin [♃1]
Déardaoin
An Aoine [♀1]
Dé hAoine
An Satharn
Dé Sathairn
Scottish Gaelic[17] Didòmhnaich [☉1] or
Latha/Là na Sàbaid
Diluain Dimàirt Diciadain [☿2] Diardaoin [♃1] Dihaoine [♀1] Disathairne
Manx Jedoonee [☉1] Jelune Jemayrt Jecrean [☿2] Jerdein [♃1] Jeheiney [♀1] Jesarn
Welsh dydd Sul dydd Llun dydd Mawrth dydd Mercher dydd Iau dydd Gwener dydd Sadwrn
Cornish Dy' Sul Dy' Lun Dy' Meurth Dy' Mergher Dy' Yow Dy' Gwener Dy' Sadorn
Breton Disul Dilun Dimeurzh Dimerc'her Diriaou Digwener Disadorn

Albanian language

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Albanian adopted the Latin terms for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, translated the Latin terms for Sunday and Monday using the native names of Diell and Hënë, respectively, and replaced the Latin terms for Thursday and Friday with the equivalent native deity names Enji and Prende, respectively.[18]

Day: Sunday
Sōl (Sun)
Monday
Luna (Moon)
Tuesday
Mars (Mars)
Wednesday
Mercurius (Mercury)
Thursday
Iuppiter (Jupiter)
Friday
Venus (Venus)
Saturday
Saturnus (Saturn)
Albanian e diel e hënë e martë e mërkurë e enjte e premte e shtunë

Adoptions from Romance

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Other languages adopted the week together with the Latin (Romance) names for the days of the week in the colonial period. Several constructed languages also adopted the Latin terminology.

Day:
(see Irregularities)
Sunday
Sōl (Sun)
Monday
Luna (Moon)
Tuesday
Mars (Mars)
Wednesday
Mercurius (Mercury)
Thursday
Iuppiter (Jupiter)
Friday
Venus (Venus)
Saturday
Saturnus (Saturn)
Filipino Linggó [☉1] Lunes Martes Miyerkoles Huwebes or colloquially Webes Biyernes Sabado [♄1]
Chamorro Damenggo Lunes Mattes Metkoles Huebes Betnes Sabalu
Māori[19] Rā Tapu [not celestially named] (rā + tapu = "holy day") Rāhina (rā + Māhina = day + Moon) Rātū (rā + Tūmatauenga = day + Mars) Rāapa (rā + Apārangi = day + Mercury) Rāpare (rā + Pareārau = day + Jupiter) Rāmere (rā + Mere = day + Venus) [Rā Horoi] [not celestially named] (rā + horoi = "washing day")
Uropi Soldia Lundia Mardia Mididia Zusdia Wendia Sabadia
Universalglot diodai lundai mardai erdai jovdai vendai samdai
Neo Domin(ko) Lundo Tud Mirko Jov Venso Sab
Idiom Neutral soldi lundi marsdi merkurdi yovdi vendrdi saturndi
Reform-Neutral soldí lundí marsdí mercurdí jovdí vendredí saturndí
ApI Interlingua sol-die luna-die marte-die mercurio-die jove-die venere-die sabbato,
saturno-die
Interlingua dominica [☉1] lunedi martedi mercuridi jovedi venerdi sabbato [♄1]
Interlingue soledí lunedí mardí mercurdí jovedí venerdí saturdí
Lingua Franca Nova soldi lundi martedi mercurdi jovedi venerdi saturdi
Mondial soldi lundi mardi mierdi jodi vendi samdi
INTAL sundi lundi mardi merkurdi jodi venerdi saturdi
Novial sundie lundie mardie mercurdie, merkurdie (older) jodie venerdie saturdie
Romániço Domínico Lun-dio Marti-dio Mercurii-dio Jov-dio Véner-dio Sábato
Ido sundio lundio mardio merkurdio jovdio venerdio saturdio
Esperanto dimanĉo [☉1] lundo mardo merkredo ĵaŭdo vendredo sabato [♄1]

With the exception of sabato, the Esperanto names are all from French, cf. French dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi.

Germanic tradition

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The Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans by substituting the Germanic deities for the Roman ones (with the exception of Saturday) in a process known as interpretatio germanica. The date of the introduction of this system is not known exactly, but it must have happened later than 100 AD but before the introduction of Christianity during the 6th to 7th centuries, i.e., during the final phase or soon after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.[20] This period is later than the Common Germanic stage, but still during the phase of undifferentiated West Germanic. The names of the days of the week in North Germanic languages were not calqued from Latin directly, but taken from the West Germanic names.