WORDS DEALING WITH TIME

CHRON-

What does it mean?

WORD TOWER

CHRONOLOGY

Made of two roots• Chron-• -ology-

CHRONICLE

SYNCHRONIZE

CHRONIC

CHRONOMETER

CHRONOCYCLEGRAPH

WHAT DAY IS IT? WHY?

MYTHOLOGY

THE BEGINNING

The Greeks named the days week after the sun, the moon and the five known planets, which were in turn named after the gods Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Greeks called the days of the week the Theon hemerai "days of the Gods".

THEN CAME THE ROMANS

The Romans substituted their equivalent gods for the Greek gods, Mars, Mercury, Jove (Jupiter), Venus, and Saturn. (The two pantheons are very similar.)

THE NORDIC (NORSE)

THE NORDIC

The Germanic peoples generally substituted roughly similar gods for the Roman gods, Tiu (Twia), Woden, Thor, Freya (Fria), but did not substitute Saturn.days of the week in various languages *stop at end

SUNDAYSun’s Day

• Old English Sunnandæg

Sun god Apollo (Greek and Roman) in late Greek and Roman mythology. Some languages have changed this day to mean “Lord’s day” to better reflect their religions.

MONDAY

Moon’s Day• Old English

Mōnandæg• This is likely

based on a translation of the Latin name dies lunae (Spanish lunes.)

TUESDAY

Mars’ Day (Roman)

Mars (Ares=Greek): god of war, battle rage and initiation; son of Zeus/Hera

Norse: Tiw's-day Tiw (Tyr): god of battle and victory

WEDNESDAY

Mercury’s Day• Old English Wōdnesdæg

Mercury (Hermes): god of commerce; Messenger of the gods; Trickster god; son of Zeus/Maia

Woden's-day Woden/Wotan (Odin): Father and ruler of the gods and mortals; god of war, learning, poetry and the dead.

THURSDAY

Jupiter’s Day• Ger. Donnerstag

Jupiter Jove (Zeus): son of Kronos/Rhea; Supreme god, Lord of Heaven (Olympus) and mortals

Norse: Thor's-day Thor: god of thunder and sky, and good crops; son of Odin and Frigg.

FRIDAY

Venus’ Day• Old English Frīgedæg

Venus (Aphrodite): goddess of sexual desire, love, beauty and procreation

Norse: Frigg's (Friia's)-day Frigg (Friia): wife of Odin; great mother of the gods; goddess of married love.

SATURDAY

Saturn’s Day• Its original Anglo-

Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg

Saturn (Kronos): god of fertility, agriculture, time; ruler of the Titans; father of first generation of Greek gods Saturn's-day.

HOW ABOUT THE MONTHS?

HISTORY OF CALENDARS

Julian Calendar: 45 B.C.Gregorian Calendar: (also known as Western or Christian)

• Signed by Pope Gregory XIII Feb 24, 1582• Many countries with Protestants or Eastern Othodox did

not agree with the change.• 1600 Scotland adapts• 1752 England adapts• Some as late as 20th century (Russia and Greece)• Made adjustments of 11 minutes per year, changed number

of leap years. AND changed the beginning of the year to more closely fit Christian calendar.

MARCH

Mars: Roman God of War. March was the original beginning of the year and time for the resumption of war.

APRIL

Aphrodite: Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Also possibly related to the latin verb APERIRE “to open” as this is the month that buds open.

MAY

Maia : Goddess of spring

JUNE

Juno`s monthJuno is the goddess of marriage and well-being of women

JULY

Julius Caesar was born in

this month.

He reformed the calendar system, and in the process named a month after himself.

AUGUST

Augustus Caesar: Great-nephew of JuliusNamed this month after himself when he was completing and clarifying Julius Ceasar’s calendar. It is said that many good things happened to him this month, so he named it after himself.

SEPTEMBER

From SEPT = SEVEN

OCTOBER

From OCT = EIGHT

NOVEMBER

From NOV=NINE

DECEMBER

From DEC = TEN

JANUARY

Janus: Roman God of Beginning and Endings

FEBRUARY

Februa= Feast of purification celebrated in Rome during this month.