månaður

In Icelandic, *mánaður* refers to the concept of a month, a unit of time commonly used to measure durations in the calendar year. The word is derived from Old Norse *mánuðr*, which itself originates from the Proto-Germanic term *mēnōþ*, meaning "moon month." This reflects the historical practice of tracking time based on lunar cycles, where each month approximated the time it takes for the moon to orbit the Earth.

The Icelandic calendar follows the Gregorian system, which divides the year into twelve months, each with a specific name. The names of the months in Icelandic are *janúar* (January), *febrúar* (February), *mars* (March), *apríl* (April), *maí* (May), *júní* (June), *júlí* (July), *ágúst* (August), *september* (September), *október* (October), *nóvember* (November), and *desember* (December). These names are largely borrowed from Latin, with some minor phonetic adaptations to fit Icelandic pronunciation.

In everyday usage, *mánaður* can refer to a single month as a period of time, such as a rental lease, a subscription term, or a billing cycle. It may also be used metaphorically to describe a significant period in a person’s life, such as a "month of preparation" or a "month of reflection." The term is widely understood in Icelandic-speaking contexts and plays a key role in scheduling, finance, and cultural traditions.

Historically, the lunar calendar was more prevalent in many cultures before the adoption of solar-based systems like the Gregorian calendar. While *mánaður* retains its connection to the moon in linguistic roots, its modern usage is tied to the structured division of the year in contemporary society.