DATES, DAYS AND MONTHS

The following days of the weeks and months of the year may help you translate
tombstones or other material:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                          THE DAYS OF THE WEEK                              |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|           |            |          |           | * Welsh         |          |
|           |            |          |           | Day/Night       |          |
| English   | German     | Czech    | Norwegian | Dydd/Nos        | French   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sunday    | Sonntag    | Nedele   | Sondag    | Dydd Sul/Nos Sul| Lundi    |
| Monday    | Montag     | Pondeli  | Mandag    | Llun            | Mardi    |
| Tuesday   | Dienstag   | Utery    | Tirsday   | Mawrth/Fawrth   | Mercredi |
| Wednesday | Mittwoch   | Streda   | Onsdag    | Mercher/Fercher | Jeudi    |
| Thursday  | Donnerstag | Stvertek | Torsday   | Iau             | Vendredi |
| Friday    | Freitag    | Patek    | Fredag    | Gwener/Wener    | Samedi   |
| Saturday  | Samstag    | Sobota   | Lordag    | Sadwrn          | Dimanche |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Welsh does not use Sun-day as in English. Sunday would be Dydd Sul.      |
|   Sunday night (Sun-night) would be Nos Sul. One also has to watch for     |
|   mutations in night references to Tues-night, Wednes-night, and Fri-night |
|   which become Nos Fawrth (instead of Mawrth), Nos Fercher (instead of     |
|   Mercher), and Nos Wener (instead of Gwener).                             |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

  +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  |                           THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR                       |
  +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  | English   | German     | Czech    | Norwegian | Welsh      | French    |
  |------------------------------------------------------------------------|
  | January   | Januar     | Leden    | Januar    | Ionawr     | Janvier   |
  | February  | Februar    | Unor     | Februar   | Chefror    | Fevrier   |
  | March     | Maerz      | Mars     | Mars      | Mawrth     | Mars      |
  | April     | April      | Duben    | April     | Ebrill     | Avril     |
  | May       | Mai        | Keten    | Mai       | Mai        | Mai       |
  | June      | Juni       | Cerven   | Juni      | Mehefin    | Juin      |
  | July      | Juli       | Cervenec | Juli      | Gorffennaf | Juillet   |
  | August    | August     | Serpen   | August    | Awst       | Aout      |
  | September | September  | Zari     | September | Medi       | Septembre |
  | October   | Oktober    | Rijen    | Oktober   | Hydref     | Octobre   |
  | November  | November   | Listopod | November  | Tachwedd   | Novembre  |
  | December  | Dezember   | Prosinec | Desember  | Rhagfyr    | December  |
  +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  
Courtesy of: Brian Mavrogeorge (German, Czech, Norwegian); Alan Pritchard 
(Welsh); David James (French); Peter Adenauer (German, again); via THE NATIONAL 
GENEALOGY CONFERENCE on FIDONET. 

FOOTNOTE: Notice the obvious influence of Latin, the "language of the church," 
on the days of the week and month, as in March, for the god of war, Mars.

Remember that in the ecclesiastical calendar, December was the tenth month, 
hence the names September (Sept=7), October (Octo=8), etc. The "Old Style" 
calendar was in effect in the British Empire before 1752, when the present 
calendar was adopted. The historical calendar recognized January 1 as the first 
day of the year, while the ecclesiastical calendar recognized March 25 as the 
first day. Thus, dates between those two days were often written with both year 
numbers (e.g., January 5, 1712/13). Also, the old calendar was defective by 11 
days, so when the switch was made to the new calendar on September 2, 1752, 
dates were often made compatible with it by adding 11 days. Folks went to bed 
September 2 and woke up the next day on September 13; there were many protests 
against the thought of losing 11 whole days out of one's life! 

Example: Under the double-dating system, George Washington was born February 
11, 1731/32 ("Old Style" or "O.S."). Adjusting this to the new calendar made it 
February 22, 1732 ("New Style" or "N.S."). Next time somebody bemoans the fact 
that we aren't really celebrating George Washington's birthday when we get a 
holiday on the nearest Monday to February 22, tell 'em when George was actually 
born: the 11th day of the 12th month of 1731, not the 22nd day of the 2nd month 
of 1732!  Richard A. Pence, NGS/CIG BBS  Fido 109/650

NOTE:  George Washington celebrated his birthday on February 11th until his
death, even though his birthday had been on the 22d under the new calendar. 
This, again, brings out that things are not always what they appear to be and
while doing genealogical research, you should consider the strange as well as the
obvious.  Henry Hoover, Dynasty BBS, OPUS 203/10, phone 916-685-8690