Have you ever wondered why the days of the week are so called? Those. no one doubts that even a younger student will be able to transfer them from Monday to Sunday without difficulty, and he will do so in several languages at once. For example, in Russian, English and German.
But not every adult can explain the significance of the days of the week. You must admit that such a question could well be asked to the experts of the well-known program “What? Where? When?". However, not everything is as complicated as it might seem at first glance.
History of the origin of the word "week"
In order to explain why the days of the week are so called, it is nevertheless necessary to first give definitions to some general concepts.
The word “week”, familiar to us, appeared even before the birth of the Christian faith. So called Sunday, which was at that time the first day of the week. This later he became final. According to experts, the initial week was called the week. The word itself came from the combination of "do not", that is, spend time in relaxation. As a result, the “laziest" day of the week was the last. And rightly so, in order to relax, you must first get pretty tired, and therefore work.
Nowadays, the week begins on Monday, recognized by the ISO International Standards Organization.
Monday is a hard day
About why the names of the days of the week are such, there are a lot of legends and tales from any nation.
However, let's go deeper into history and try to find a more rational explanation.
The name "Monday" comes from the phrase "after a week." This is the first day following Sunday, which in ancient times was called a week. The root of the word is weekly, and it is formed by a suffix method with the suffix -nik joining .
Day Two - Tuesday
The next day is Tuesday. Having looked closely at the word, it is easy to guess how it was once formed. The word consists of the root second - that is, the second in order from the beginning of the week, and the suffix -nik-.
And here is the middle
The name “environment” also has an Old Slavonic origin and has a common meaning with the words “middle” and “heart”. Interestingly, Wednesday is considered the middle of the week only when the week begins on Sunday. Nowadays, this day does not particularly match its name, since the week starts on Monday. By the way, the facts testify that in ancient times the medium was called the “arbitrage”.
Thursday
In some languages, not only in Russian, the day between Tuesday and Thursday means the middle. Some scholars even argue that initially the week consisted of five days, but then under the influence of the Christian church two more days were added.
The fourth day after Sunday was formed from the all-Slavic word “chetvrtak”, which also using the suffix method came from the word “fourth”.
Gradually, this day of the week began to be called Thursday.
Friday - get some sleep soon
The fifth day after Sunday is a bit more complicated. This name also appeared from the serial number "five", but got its name on the fifth day in honor of the Slavic goddess Friday, who had a direct relationship to him before the adoption of Christianity. That is why it is called "Friday", and not "Friday" or "nickle."
Finally Saturday!
It is simply impossible to tell why the days of the week are so called without mentioning the first day of the weekend.
The Sabbath day originates from the Greek word sabbaton, which appeared thanks to the Hebrew dialect. The Hebrew word sabbath (Shabbat) means "day of peace and joy" when you need to refrain from any work.
The name “Saturday” itself came from the Old Slavonic language. Interestingly, the words "Saturday" and "Sabbath" are cognate. In most languages, the name of this day of the week has a common origin from the Hebrew word Shabbat. The emergence of Christian theology has had a great influence on the vocabulary of many languages.
Sunday is the crown of the week
The name "Sunday" appeared after Christianity entered the territory of Russia and replaced the word "week". It is derived from the word “resurrect” and is formed by appending the suffix -eni. According to the Holy Scriptures, it was on this day of the week that Jesus Christ rose.
Are days of the week necessary for children
Understanding and comprehending all of the above for adults will not be any problem. But what about the kids? Indeed, it is they, you see, who are inclined to ask a huge number of clarifying questions, which it is simply impossible to get away from at times.
At the very beginning, the child needs to explain that there are seven days in a week, each of which has a specific name. The first five days are working, when adults work, and children attend kindergarten or school. Weekends include Saturday and Sunday. Everyone is resting these days.
After that, according to experts, it is already possible to start studying temporary concepts (today, tomorrow, yesterday). For an easier understanding of this topic, you need to parse specific examples with the child. For example, to tell about what happened yesterday or will be tomorrow.
Most likely, a curious child will certainly want to find out why the days of the week are so called. You can try to tell him, highlighting the most important thing in the general flow of information. And it’s better, by the way, to do this dosed, because such a volume of rather complex new facts is unlikely to be remembered the first time.
By learning to recognize the days of the week, the child will be able to plan and manage his time in the future, will become more independent and organized. Any interest on his part should be encouraged by parents. It is important for the child to understand what day of the week has come and what will happen on that day.
The names of the days of the week are used in everyday life very often. Therefore, the child hears these words from a very young age, not yet understanding their meaning, but already he begins to remember this information and get used to it. The child’s attention should be focused on important days for the family : birthdays, celebrations, the arrival of close relatives, etc. Discussion of these dates with the family contributes to the development and education of the child. This makes new information easier to read.
What are the days of the week called? Practical memorization tips for children and their parents
There are many ways to help remember the names of the days of the week. Here are the simplest ones:
- You can draw a simple calendar where all the days of the week will be indicated, hang it in a prominent place. It will be interesting for the child to consider and discuss with each adult every day of the week. For a greater variety, you can write near each day the events that occurred on the day.
- Simple poems, which should be constantly repeated with a small child, will help you learn these names faster. At first it will be difficult for him, but over time, the baby will remember them and learn to distinguish between them.
- Production of simple schedules and signs, which will reflect the planned events, as well as joint discussions about future family plans. All this will allow the child to get to know the concept of “days of the week”.
Be patient, because this is a rather difficult process for a small child. Only with constant practice and repetition can he understand the meaning of these words and not get confused in their order.