subota

Subota is the word for Saturday in several South Slavic languages, notably Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin. It names the sixth day of the week in everyday speech, in calendars and timetables, and is used in both secular and religious contexts. The term is inherited from older Slavic vocabulary and is cognate with related terms for Saturday across the Slavic languages.

Etymology: Subota derives from Proto-Slavic *subota*, ultimately from the word for Sabbath. The standard account traces through Church Slavonic суббота to Greek sabbaton (the Sabbath) via Latin sabbatum and Hebrew Shabbat. The form is cognate with Russian суббота (subbota), Ukrainian субота (subota), and Polish sobota, all reflecting the same origin.

Subbotnik: In Russian, the related word Subbotnik refers to a day of voluntary labor held on Saturdays during the Soviet era; the name comes from subbota and the suffix -nik. The practice embodied a social aim of collective work on a weekend day and is remembered as part of Soviet-era civic culture.

Usage and culture: In contemporary calendars following ISO conventions, weeks typically begin on Monday, making Saturday the sixth day of the week. In many Slavic countries, Saturday is part of the weekend and is commonly associated with leisure, shopping, and family activities. Religiously, the observance of Saturday varies by tradition; in some communities it is a day of rest or vigil in preparation for Sunday worship, while in others it is treated as a regular weekday.