kalendae

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [kaˈɫɛn.dae̯]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [kaˈlɛn.de]^[1]

Forms

kalendae f pl (genitive kalendārum); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is apparently a gerundive of an old ⟨*calō⟩ “to call”, from Proto-Italic *kalāndo-, from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, summon”), the day on which the date of the Nones was proclaimed, as Varro explains.^[2][1][3] Lewis and Short compare Ancient Greek καλέω (kaléō, “to call”) and calō.^[4] It is also spelled ⟨calendae⟩ and abbreviated ⟨Kal.⟩.^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Gaffiot's earliest citation is from Cicero, of the Calends.^[5] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant the first day of the month, the Calends, as in Cicero.^[2][5] It was the day interest fell due, Horace's trīstēs kalendae, and Augustus' ad kalendās Graecās “at the Greek Calends” meant never, as Suetonius reports.^[2][5] The Calends were sacred to Juno, and Mārtiae kalendae were the Matronalia, when presents were given, as in Ovid.^[2] In Ovid it also stood for the month itself.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant the Calends.^[7] Medieval Latin used it for monthly meetings of clergy.^[8] It survives in Italian calende and French calendes, and English calends came about 1200; its derivative kalendārium “account book” gave English calendar.^[1][9]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the first day of the month.^[5][6]
• 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of the day interest fell due.^[2][6]
• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius reports ad kalendās Graecās.^[5][6]
• c. 1200 – English calends is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The Calends, the first day of the month.^[2]
2. The day interest fell due, kalendae Graecae, never.^[2]
3. Mārtiae kalendae, the Matronalia.^[2]
4. The month.^[2]
5. (Medieval Latin) A monthly meeting of clergy.^[8]

Word family

• kalendārium

Related words

• nōnae
• īdūs
• English calends
• English calendar

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com