meseca

Meseca is a term used in worldbuilding and speculative fiction to describe a lunar month in a fictional calendrical system. The word is commonly used as a proper noun for a calendar unit rather than a planet or place. In many renderings, a meseca lasts roughly 29 to 30 days, aligning with the synodic lunar cycle; however, some authors redefine its length to fit their narrative pace, ranging from 28 to 32 days.

Etymology and usage: Meseca is typically treated as a derivation from a root meaning “month” or “moon” in the imagined language. The suffix -eca or -cea is a stylistic choice; there is no standard spelling or pronunciation across works.

Cultural role: In fiction, mesecas structure social timing, naming of months corresponding to natural events or deities. Festivals or agricultural rites often occur at transitions between mesecas, and some cultures calibrate calendars around lunar eclipses.

Relation to other calendars: Meseca-based systems may coexist with solar calendars or lunisolar systems. Some narratives use a seven- or thirteen-month year, while others adopt a simple 12-month year analogous to real calendars.

Development and reception: The concept serves worldbuilders to convey depth and cultural distinctiveness; used in fiction, games, and conlangs. As a fictional construct, meseca has no real-world astronomical or historical basis.

See also: Calendar, Lunar month, Worldbuilding.