Slavic calendar

While many Slavic languages officially use Latin-derived names for the months of the year in the Gregorian calendar, there is also a set of older names for the twelve months that differs from the Latin month names, as they are of Slavic origin. In some languages, such as the Serbian language these traditional names have since been archaized and are thus seldom used.

The original names of the months of the year in the Slavic languages closely follow natural occurrences such as weather patterns and conditions common for that period, as well as agricultural activities. Many months have several alternative names in different regions.

Names

Comparison

Comparison of the traditional names for the twelve months in different Slavic languages^[1]

Language	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Belarusian	Студзень (Studzień)	Люты (Luty)	Сакавік (Sakavik)	Красавік (Krasavik)	Травень (Travień)	Чэрвень (Červień)	Ліпень (Lipień)	Жнівень (Žnivień)	Верасень (Vierasień)	Кастрычнік (Kastryčnik)	Лістапад (Listapad)	Снежань (Śniežań)
Bulgarian (archaic)	Сечен Sechen	Люти Lyuti	Сухи Sukhi	Брезен Brezen	Тревен Treven	Изок Izok	Червен Cherven	Зарев Zarev	Руен Ruen	Листопад Listopad	Груден Gruden	Просинец Prosinets
Croatian	siječanj	veljača	ožujak	travanj	svibanj	lipanj	srpanj	kolovoz	rujan	listopad	studeni	prosinac
Czech	leden	únor	březen	duben	květen	červen	červenec	srpen	září	říjen	listopad	prosinec
Macedonian (archaic)	Коложег Koložeg	Сечко Sečko	Цутар Cutar	Тревен Treven	Косар Kosar	Жетвар Žetvar	Златец Zlatec	Житар Žitar	Гроздобер Grozdober	Листопад Listopad	Студен Studen	Снежник Snežnik
Polish	styczeń	luty	marzec	kwiecień	maj	czerwiec	lipiec	sierpień	wrzesień	październik	listopad	grudzień
Russian (archaic)	Сечень Siečień	Лютый Liutyi	Березозол Bieriezozol	Цветень Cvietień	Травень Travień	Червень Čiervień	Липец Lipiec	Серпень Sierpień	Вересень Vieriesień	Листопад Listopad	Грудень Grudień	Студень Studień
Serbian (archaic)	Коложег Koložeg	Сечко Sečko	Дерикожа Derikoža	Лежитрава Ležitrava	Цветањ Cvetanj	Трешњар Trešnjar	Жетвар Žetvar	Гумник Gumnik	Гроздобер Grozdober	Листопад Listopad	Студен Studen	Коледар Koledar
Sorbian	Wulki rožk	Maly rožk	Naletnik	Jutrownik	Rožownik	Smažnik	Pražnik	Žnjenc	Požnjenc	Winowc	Nazymnik	Hodownik
Slovene (archaic)	Prosinec	svečan	sušec	Mali traven	veliki traven	rožnik	Mali srpan	veliki srpan	kimovec	vinotok	listopad	gruden
Ukrainian	Січень Sichen'	Лютий Lyuty	Березень Berezen'	Квітень Kviten'	Травень Traven'	Червень Cherven'	Липень Lypen'	Серпень Serpen'	Вересень Veresen'	Жовтень Zhovten'	Листопад Lystopad	Грудень Hruden'

^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

See also

• Lithuanian calendar
• Germanic calendar
• Romanian months

References

1. Nedeljković, Mile (September 1998). "Zinkski znak vatre letnji znak sunca i Perunova munja" [Winter fire symbol, summer sun symbol, and lightning of Perun]. Srpsko nasleđe (in Serbian) (9). Retrieved 11 October 2014.
2. Nedeljković, Mile; Karadžić, Vuk (1990). Godišnji običaji u Srba [Annual traditions of the Serbs] (in Serbian). Belgrade.
3. Jovanović, Stanoje, ed. (1999). Jezici podunavskih zemalja (i ruski) [Languages of the Danube countries (and Russia)]. Belgrade: YU Marketing Press and Verzalpress. OCLC 443031481.
4. Gleichova, Jarmila; Jenikova, Anna (1982). Česko-srbocharvatsky a srbocharvatsko-česky slovnik na cesty [Czech–Serbo-Croatian/Serbo-Croatian–Czech travel dictionary] (in Czech). Prague: Statni pedagogicke nakladatelstvi.
5. Menac, Antica; Kovalʹ, Alla P. (1979). Hrvatsko ili srpsko-ukrajinski rječnik [Croatian/Serbian–Ukrainian dictionary]. Zagreb: SNL. OCLC 800783862.
6. Serbska protyka [Sorbian calendar]. Bautzen: Domowina. 1968.
7. Јacanović, Dragan (2000). Srpsko kalendarsko znanje u epskim narodnim pesmama [Serbian calendar knowledge in folk epic poetry] (in Serbian). Rača.

External links

• http://projetbabel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7222 A comprehensive table of Slavic and Baltic month names, explanation in French.
• http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages\M\O\Monthsoftheyear.htm