From Lundi to Somvaar: A Linguistic and Cultural Examination of Day Names in French and Hindi

Abstract

This study investigates the historic genesis, cultural meanings and linguistic forms of the 'names of the seven days of the week' in two distinct but comparable traditions, i.e. French and Hindi. It also highlights the linguistic similarities between these two languages, which are different from each other otherwise. The names of days of the week are taken, even though they appear very different and are rarely compared directly to analyse the similarities. Further, the study also highlights the conjunctions in how two languages use names of days of the week. By joining etymological examination, comparative structure, phonetics, and sociocultural interpretation, it shows that while both systems map weekdays onto planetary deities or celestial bodies, they do so through different historical pathways (Latin–Roman Christianization for French; Sanskrit–Hindu astronomical/astrological tradition for Hindi).