Monandæg

Monandæg is the Old English name for the second day of the week, corresponding to what is today called Monday. The form literally means “Moon’s day,” reflecting the Germanic tradition of naming weekdays after celestial bodies rather than after gods or numbers.

Etymology and form: Monandæg combines the Old English word for moon (móna or mona) with dæg, the word for day. In early English manuscripts the day is consistently referred to as Monandæg, a direct translation of the Moon’s day. The modern English name Monday descends from this Old English form through the changes of Middle English and subsequent standardization.

Historical context: The seven-day week in Germanic-speaking regions used day-names tied to celestial bodies and mythic figures. Monandæg was paired with Tiwesdæg (Tuesday), Wōdnesdæg (Wednesday), and so forth, forming a set that persisted into medieval times. The Latin-influenced order and terminology later contributed to the current English forms, but the basic concept—the Moon’s day as the first or second weekday—remained intact in the Germanic tradition.

Modern relevance: Today, Monandæg is primarily of historical and linguistic interest, encountered in discussions of Old English, early medieval calendars, and the etymology of the days of the week. It is also used in academic contexts to illustrate the Germanic roots of the week’s naming system and its transition to contemporary English.