I Never Knew There Was a Word for It - Adam Jacot De Boinod [41]
February Apunknajit the sun is powerful
March Siwkewikús maple sugar
April Penamuikús birds lay eggs
May Etquljuikús frogs are croaking
June Nipnikús foliage is most verdant
July Peskewikús birds are moulting
August Kisikwekewikús it’s ripening time
September Wikumkewikús it’s moose-calling time
October Wikewikús our animals are fat and tame
November Keptekewikús the rivers are about to freeze
December Kiskewikús chief moon
False friends
fart (Turkish) excess or exaggeration
dim (Welsh) zero
age (Hindi and Urdu, Pakistan) in the future
beast (Persian) twenty
slut (Swedish) end or finish
tilt (Cantonese) one-third
Caribou calendar
Similar charmingly named months make up the various Inuit calendars. January is siqinnaarut, the month when the sun returns; February is qangattaarjuk, referring to the sun getting higher and higher in the sky; March is avunniit, when premature baby seals are born: some make it, some freeze to death; April is natsijjat, the proper month for seal pups to be born; May is tirigluit, when bearded seals are born; June is manniit, when the birds are laying eggs; July is saggaruut, the sound of rushing water as the rivers start to run; August is akulliruut, when the summer has come and the caribous’ thick hair has been shed; September is amiraijaut, when the caribou hair is neither too thin nor too thick but just right for making into clothing; October is ukialliruut, when the caribou antlers lose their covers; November is tusaqtuut, when the ice forms and people can travel to see other people and get news; December is taujualuk, a very dark month.
Tea time
Tea is a fundamental part of Chinese culture, so it’s no surprise to find that there’s an elaborate calendar relating to the growth and preparation of it:
Chinese Literal translation Western Calendar
Li Chun spring starts 5 February
Yushui the rains come 19 February
Jingzhe insects wake up 5 March
Chunfen spring equinox 20 March
Qingming clear and bright 5 April
Guyu grain rain 20 April
Lixia summer starts 5 May
Xiaoman grains fill out 21 May
Mangzhong the grain is in ear 6 June
Xiazhu summer solstice 21 June
Xiaoshu little heat 7 July
Dashu big heat 23 July
Liqiu autumn starts 7 August
Chushu limit to food 23 August
Bailu white dew 8 September
Qiufen autumn equinox 23 September
Hanlu cold dew 8 October
Shuangjiang frost descends 23 October
Lidong winter starts 7 November
Xiaoxue little snow 22 November
Daxue big snow 7 December
Dongzhi winter solstice 21 December
Xiohan little cold 6 January
Dahan big cold 26 January
Halcyon days
In 2002 President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan decided to rename both the months of the year and the days of the week. Some months were to take the names of heroes of Turkmenistan’s past, but January was to become Turkmenbashi, after the president’s official name (‘Head of all the Turkmen’). In response to his suggestion that April should become known as ‘Mother’, one of his supporters suggested that instead it should be named after the president’s mother, Gurbansoltan-eje. The president heeded this advice.
The days of the week were also renamed: Monday became Major (main or first) Day; Tuesday, Young Day; Wednesday, Favourable Day; Thursday, Blessed Day; Friday remained as it was; but Saturday became Spiritual Day; and Sunday, Rest Day.
Revolutionary
Turkmenistan is not the only country to consider changing the months of the year at a single stroke. In 1793 the newly established French republic abandoned the Gregorian calendar in favour of a new, ‘rational’ calendar. It lasted thirteen years, until abolished by Napoleon in 1806.
Each season was divided into three months, and the name of the months in each season shared a common word ending.
Printemps (spring)
Germinal seeds sprouting
Floréal flowering
Prairial meadow
Eté (summer)
Messidor harvest
Thermidor heat
Fructidor fruit
Automne (autumn)
Vendémiaire vintage
Brumaire fog
Frimaire sleet
Hiver (winter)
Nivôse snow
Pluviôse rain
Ventôse winds
These months quickly