Latin
Terms for Time Expressions
| Nominative
Form |
Definition |
| annus |
year |
| aestas |
summer |
| autumnus |
autumn, fall |
| hiems |
winter |
| ver |
spring |
| mensis |
month |
| dies |
day |
| aurora |
dawn |
| vesper |
evening |
| nox |
night |
| hora |
hour |
| semihora |
half-hour |
| minuta |
minute |
Days of the Week
| Day of the
Week |
English
Name |
Ruling
Planet |
Latin Name |
| 1st |
Saturday |
Saturn |
Saturni dies |
| 2nd |
Sunday |
Sun |
Solis dies |
| 3rd |
Monday |
Moon |
Lunae dies |
| 4th |
Tuesday |
Mars |
Martis dies |
| 5th |
Wednesday |
Mercury |
Mercurii dies |
| 6th |
Thursday |
Jupiter |
Jovis dies |
| 7th |
Friday |
Venus |
Veneris dies |
Months of the Year
Original Roman calendar had 10 months, beginning in
March and ending in December
Original Roman calendar was revised by Julius
Caesar in 45 BC; he was helped by Sosigenes (an astronomer); he added two months
to the calendar (January and February); he changed the names of two months -
Quintilis became Iulius and Sextilis became Augustus; he also created the idea
of a leap year
There were three fixed dates on the Roman calendar:
Kalends - 1st day of the
month
Nones - 5th day of the
month; 7th day in March, May, July, and October
Idus / Ides - 13th day of
the month; 15th day in March, May, July, and October
| Latin Name |
English
Name |
Description
of the Month |
| Ianuarius |
January |
named after the god of beginnings,
Janus (he has two faces) |
| Februarius |
February |
named for a purification ceremony
and ritual |
| Martius |
March |
named after the god of war, Mars |
| Aprilis |
April |
comes from the Latin word, aperire,
meaning "to open" |
| Maius |
May |
named for Mercury's mother, Maia;
it is the Latin word "greater" |
| Iunius |
June |
named for the goddess and
patroness of marriage and women, Juno |
| Iulius |
July |
named for the dictator who revised
the calendar, Julius Caesar |
| Augustus |
August |
named for Rome's first emperor,
Augustus or Octavius |
| September |
September |
originally the seventh month of
the Roman calendar |
| October |
October |
originally the eighth month of the
Roman calendar |
| November |
November |
originally the ninth month of the
Roman calendar |
| December |
December |
originally the tenth month of the
Roman calendar |
Miscellaneous Phrases
Tempus fugit - Time flies
AUC - ab urbe condita - from the founding of the city (Romans
measured their years from the founding of the city of Rome)
BC - before Christ (BCE)
AD - anno Domini - in the year of the Lord (CE)
a.m. - ante meridiem - before noon
p.m. - post meridiem - after noon
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