I write this on a Monday, which makes me wonder how many of us actually know the meanings of the days of the week?
Monday is an ancient Gallic word Mun-dean where we get the word “mundane”. Monday being the start of the workweek is dreaded and a reminder of the beginning of another difficult struggle to survive. We associate Monday with “blue” and drudgery hence the name.
Tues is an Anglo-Saxon word deucedey or two (where we modernized to “Tues”-day. It represents the second day of the week or a double dose of mundane or Monday squared.
Wednesday is Roman from Wedded-day as it “marries” or unites the two drudge days with the hope of the following two days that lead to the weekend. It is hopeful as it couples the worst with the best, which is where we get the concept of marriage. This is also why some have crudely and in some sort of heathen like phrase refer to it as “hump” day.
Thursday is Arabic from “Thursted” as in “we thirst or long for the last day of the week. It is a metaphor for the dangling carrot that we must endure to reach the end of our backbreaking labor.
Friday comes from old English “fire-day” as in the idea of frying or cooking a feast to celebrate the completion of our toil. It is also found in Hieroglyphics as a fish as that was the original fried meat.
Saturday is a composite of three words from the Greek, which loosely translates in English as “Sat-all-day. As in the rest and recreation that is a result of doing nothing in order to save up energy for the return of Monday. It is also the impetus for creating sitting machines like a couch or recliner in order to participate more holy in the “sitting” day.
Sunday is the most obvious as it literally means “sun” day in the image of a new day or rebirth if you will of all our hopes and dreams of leisure and the blessed return of the “Son” that will relieve us of all the pain and agony of the garden that implemented the concept of labor as we were first instructed to “tend to the garden and subdue it”.
I hope this historical journey into word origins has been of some service to you readers who also are starting their “Mundane-day” with depression and angst and revulsion. Have a good day.