Have you ever wondered why Wednesday is called Wednesday? Most weekdays have common names that describe their abilities and characters. Wednesday is no exception, and its history goes back to thousands of years ago.
In this article, we’ll explore why Wednesday is named Wednesday and how it relates to the days of the week. Read on to learn more about this age-old question of why Wednesday is called Wednesday.
Why is Wednesday Called Wednesday?
Wednesdays have been a part of our week calendar since antiquity.But have you ever wondered why? Why is it called Wednesday? Why not Tuesdayday or Thorsday?
Well, the answer lies in the links of the name Wednesday to its Norse and Germanic roots. Wednesday is named after the Norse god Woden, who was also known as Odin in Norse mythology. In old Germanic languages, the name Wednesday was derived from the word “Woden’s day” or “Wotansdag”, which literally translates to Woden’s day.
In Old English, Wednesday was spelled “Wōdnesdæg”, which is a combination of Woden’s name (Wōdnes) and day (-dæg). The spelling changed over time and became what we now know it as “Wednesday”.
Not just in English, Wednesday is called something different in almost all the languages across the world. In French, it is ‘Mercredi’, in Spanish it is ‘Miércoles’, in Dutch is ‘Woensdag’ and in Mandarin it is ‘星期三’.
All of these words can be traced back to the Norse god.
Woden
Woden was a chief god among the Germanic people. He was seen as a great warrior, leader, and an advisor to his people.He is considered to be the Norse equivalent of the Roman god Mercury and the Greek god Apollo. In Norse mythology, Woden was sometimes known by many other names. He was referred to by the name Odin and as the All-Father in some regions. Ancient Germanic peoples knew him as Wōdenaz, Wōdanaz and Wodan.