Origins of Weekday Names
| Day | Derivation |
|---|---|
|
Sunday
|
First
day of the week. Derived from the Latin dies solis, "sun's day," a pagan Roman holiday. |
|
Monday
|
Second
day of the week. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon monandaeg, which means "the moon's day." Latin: dies lunae, "day of the moon." |
|
Tuesday
|
Third
day of the week. Named for the Norse god of war, Tiu, or Tyr, the son of Odin. |
|
Wednesday
|
Fourth
day of the week. Named to honor Odin, or Woden, chief god in Norse mythology. Onsdag in Sweden and Denmark. |
|
Thursday
|
Fifth
day of the week. Named for Thor, Norse god of thunder. Torsdag in Sweden and Denmark. |
|
Friday
|
Sixth
day of the week. Named for the Norse goddess of love, Frigg, or Frija. Variation of the Old High German frìatag, "day of Frija." |
|
Saturday
|
Seventh
day of the week. Named in honor of the Roman god Saturn. Latin: Saturni. Sater-daeg by the Anglo-Saxons. |
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