<Ul> <Li> Sunday : Old English Sunnandæg ( pronounced ( ˈsunnɑndæj ) ) , meaning `` sun 's day '' . This is a translation of the Latin phrase dies Solis . English , like most of the Germanic languages , preserves the original pagan / sun associations of the day . Many other European languages , including all of the Romance languages , have changed its name to the equivalent of `` the Lord 's day '' ( based on Ecclesiastical Latin dies Dominica ) . In both West Germanic and North Germanic mythology the Sun is personified as Sunna / Sól . </Li> <Li> Monday : Old English Mōnandæg ( pronounced ( ˈmoːnɑndæj ) ) , meaning `` Moon 's day '' . This is equivalent to the Latin name dies lunae . In North Germanic mythology , the Moon is personified as Máni . </Li> <Li> Tuesday : Old English Tīwesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈtiːwezdæj ) ) , meaning `` Tiw 's day '' . Tiw ( Norse Týr ) was a one - handed god associated with single combat and pledges in Norse mythology and also attested prominently in wider Germanic paganism . The name of the day is also related to the Latin name dies Martis , `` Day of Mars '' . </Li> <Li> Wednesday : Old English Wōdnesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈwoːdnezdæj ) ) meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden ( known as Óðinn among the North Germanic peoples ) , and a prominent god of the Anglo - Saxons ( and other Germanic peoples ) in England until about the seventh century . It is also vaguely related to the Latin counterpartdies Mercurii , `` Day of Mercury '' . The connection between Mercury and Odin is more strained than the other syncretic connections . The usual explanation is that both Wodan and Mercury were considered psychopomps , or guides of souls after death , in their respective mythologies ; both are also associated with poetic and musical inspiration . The Icelandic Miðviku , German Mittwoch , Low German Middeweek and Finnish keskiviikko all mean mid-week . </Li> <Li> Thursday : Old English Þūnresdæg ( pronounced ( ˈθuːnrezdæj ) ) , meaning ' Þunor 's day ' . Þunor means thunder or its personification , the Norse god known in Modern English as Thor . Similarly Dutch donderdag , German Donnerstag ( ' thunder 's day ' ) , Finnish torstai , and Scandinavian Torsdag ( ' Thor 's day ' ) . Thor 's day corresponds to Latin dies Iovis , `` day of Jupiter '' . </Li> <Li> Friday : Old English Frīgedæg ( pronounced ( ˈfriːjedæj ) ) , meaning the day of the Anglo - Saxon goddess Fríge . The Norse name for the planet Venus was Friggjarstjarna , ' Frigg 's star ' . It is based on the Latin dies Veneris , `` Day of Venus '' . </Li> <Li> Saturday : the only day of the week to retain its Roman origin in English , named after the Roman god Saturn associated with the Titan Cronus , father of Zeus and many Olympians . Its original Anglo - Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈsæturnezdæj ) ) . In Latin , it was dies Saturni , `` Day of Saturn '' . The Scandinavian Lørdag / Lördag deviates significantly as it has no reference to either the Norse or the Roman pantheon ; it derives from old Norse laugardagr , literally `` washing - day '' . The German Sonnabend ( mainly used in northern and eastern Germany ) and the Low German words Sünnavend mean `` Sunday Eve '' , the German word Samstag ( mainly used in southern and western Germany ) derives from the name for Shabbat . </Li> </Ul>
<Ul> <Li> Sunday : Old English Sunnandæg ( pronounced ( ˈsunnɑndæj ) ) , meaning `` sun 's day '' . This is a translation of the Latin phrase dies Solis . English , like most of the Germanic languages , preserves the original pagan / sun associations of the day . Many other European languages , including all of the Romance languages , have changed its name to the equivalent of `` the Lord 's day '' ( based on Ecclesiastical Latin dies Dominica ) . In both West Germanic and North Germanic mythology the Sun is personified as Sunna / Sól . </Li> <Li> Monday : Old English Mōnandæg ( pronounced ( ˈmoːnɑndæj ) ) , meaning `` Moon 's day '' . This is equivalent to the Latin name dies lunae . In North Germanic mythology , the Moon is personified as Máni . </Li> <Li> Tuesday : Old English Tīwesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈtiːwezdæj ) ) , meaning `` Tiw 's day '' . Tiw ( Norse Týr ) was a one - handed god associated with single combat and pledges in Norse mythology and also attested prominently in wider Germanic paganism . The name of the day is also related to the Latin name dies Martis , `` Day of Mars '' . </Li> <Li> Wednesday : Old English Wōdnesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈwoːdnezdæj ) ) meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden ( known as Óðinn among the North Germanic peoples ) , and a prominent god of the Anglo - Saxons ( and other Germanic peoples ) in England until about the seventh century . It is also vaguely related to the Latin counterpartdies Mercurii , `` Day of Mercury '' . The connection between Mercury and Odin is more strained than the other syncretic connections . The usual explanation is that both Wodan and Mercury were considered psychopomps , or guides of souls after death , in their respective mythologies ; both are also associated with poetic and musical inspiration . The Icelandic Miðviku , German Mittwoch , Low German Middeweek and Finnish keskiviikko all mean mid-week . </Li> <Li> Thursday : Old English Þūnresdæg ( pronounced ( ˈθuːnrezdæj ) ) , meaning ' Þunor 's day ' . Þunor means thunder or its personification , the Norse god known in Modern English as Thor . Similarly Dutch donderdag , German Donnerstag ( ' thunder 's day ' ) , Finnish torstai , and Scandinavian Torsdag ( ' Thor 's day ' ) . Thor 's day corresponds to Latin dies Iovis , `` day of Jupiter '' . </Li> <Li> Friday : Old English Frīgedæg ( pronounced ( ˈfriːjedæj ) ) , meaning the day of the Anglo - Saxon goddess Fríge . The Norse name for the planet Venus was Friggjarstjarna , ' Frigg 's star ' . It is based on the Latin dies Veneris , `` Day of Venus '' . </Li> <Li> Saturday : the only day of the week to retain its Roman origin in English , named after the Roman god Saturn associated with the Titan Cronus , father of Zeus and many Olympians . Its original Anglo - Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg ( pronounced ( ˈsæturnezdæj ) ) . In Latin , it was dies Saturni , `` Day of Saturn '' . The Scandinavian Lørdag / Lördag deviates significantly as it has no reference to either the Norse or the Roman pantheon ; it derives from old Norse laugardagr , literally `` washing - day '' . The German Sonnabend ( mainly used in northern and eastern Germany ) and the Low German words Sünnavend mean `` Sunday Eve '' , the German word Samstag ( mainly used in southern and western Germany ) derives from the name for Shabbat . </Li> </Ul>
where did the days of the week originate from
where did the days of the week originate from
sun 's day Latin phrase dies Solis Moon 's day Latin name dies lunae Tiw 's day Tiw Óðinn Þunor 's day Thor Fríge Roman god Saturn Day of Saturn
sun 's day Latin phrase dies Solis Moon 's day Latin name dies lunae Tiw 's day Tiw Óðinn Þunor 's day Thor Fríge Roman god Saturn Day of Saturn