Every day has a name. Yet we rarely think about it: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... These are more than just time markers. Behind them lies a historical, religious, and astronomical heritage. The book Why Do the Days of the Week Have These Names? by Léwis Verdun, published by Five Minutes, explores this legacy. Here, let’s dive into a related idea: how language shapes our perception of time.

How Language Influences Our Perception of Time

Saying “See you Monday” or “Happy weekend” isn’t just practical — it's cultural. Language shapes memory and identity.

Cognitive linguistics shows that how we talk about time affects how we feel it. English uses Norse gods (e.g., Thursday = Thor’s Day), while Chinese uses simple numbering: Day One through Day Seven.

Calendars: Mirrors of Civilizations

Each society structured time to fit its values. The Gregorian calendar is the result of centuries of reforms.

The Babylonians divided the week into seven days based on seven visible celestial bodies. This idea passed to the Hebrews, Romans, and Germanic peoples.

In China, calendars followed seasonal and lunar cycles. Other cultures used 5-day or 10-day weeks.

Words That Bear Ancient Beliefs

Day names are linguistic fossils. In French: Mardi (Mars), Mercredi (Mercury), Jeudi (Jupiter), Vendredi (Venus). Lundi refers to the Moon; Dimanche to the Lord’s Day.

In Arabic, days are numbered (Sunday = the first day), except Friday, the sacred day.

Even “see you Tuesday” carries layers of history.

Practical List: 7 Surprising Facts About the Days of the Week

  • Sunday = dies dominica = Day of the Lord (Latin)

  • Saturday in French = Sabbath (Hebrew); in English = Saturn

  • In Japanese, day names relate to elements and planets (e.g., 火曜日 = Fire Day = Mars)

  • The French Revolution introduced a 10-day week (soon abolished)

  • In Portuguese, weekdays are numbered except for Saturday and Sunday

  • Some Christian calendars keep the biblical order

  • The Gregorian reform in 1582 dropped 10 calendar days

Why Knowing the Origins of Day Names Matters

Understanding day names reconnects us with intangible heritage. It shows how civilizations used language to shape time — and meaning.

Discover Why Do the Days of the Week Have These Names? now on FIVE MINUTES!