Linguistics: Days of the week in Nordic languages

Days of the week in Nordic languages

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Topic: Days of the week in Nordic languages

Posted By: Paul
Subject: Days of the week in Nordic languages
Date Posted: 13-Jun-2006 at 18:16

As every primary school child learns the days of the week in English are named after the Norse Gods.

for those unfamiliar

Sunday - The Sun's Day and Monday - The Moon's Day......

The Norse legend for sunrise and sunset is based upon gods towing these objects around the earth in chariots pursued by giant wolves.

Tuesday - Tyr's Day........

Tyr was the Norse God of Justice

Wednesday - Wodan's Day........

Wodan was the Father God who lived in Valhalla

Thursday - Thor's Day ......

God of Thunder who smashed the clouds with his hammer to create lightning and thunder

Friday - Frigga's Day ......

wife of Wodan and queen of the gods.

and Saturday, Saturns day, a non Norse interloper.

Anyway to the question, speaking to a German friend I once presumed it would be identical in the German language. However he told me I was wrong, but in a very unconvincing way.... so I'm not too sure.

What I would like to know from all other Nordic speakers what the days of the week mean in your languages.....

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Replies:

Posted By: Komnenos
Date Posted: 15-Jun-2006 at 08:32

Slight differences in German:

Sonntag

Montag

Dienstag

Mittwoch (= Mid -week)

Donnerstag

Freitag

Samstag (Germanised form of the greek "sabbaton", which stems from the Hebrew "sabbat")

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Posted By: Northman
Date Posted: 15-Jun-2006 at 10:22

Danish list of Days in a Week...

S�ndag - The Sun's Day (old norse: sunnudagr)

Mandag - The Moon's Day (old norse: m�nadagr)

Tirsdag - Tyr's / Tir's Day (old norse: t�(r)sdagr)

Onsdag - Odins / Wotan's / Wodan's Day (old norse: �dinsdagr)

Torsdag - Tor's / Thor's Day (old norse: th�rsdagr... <th> is one rune)

Fredag - Freyja's / Frigga's / Frigg's Day (old norse: fri�dagr)

L�rdag - (old norse: Laugurdagr) - meaning washing-/bathday.

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Posted By: Tangriberdi
Date Posted: 15-Jun-2006 at 16:42

EALD ENGLISC- MODERN ENGLISH

Sunnand�g-Sunday

Monad�g-Monday

Tiwesd�g-Tuesday

Wodnesd�g-Wednesday

Thunnorsd�g-Thursday

Friged�g-Friday

Saturnd�g-Saturday. I heard that In some dialects the word Lordsday could be found . But it should be a Norse loanword.