Re: Weeks and days, was: Opinions on English

On Fri, 29 Sep 2000, Irina Rempt wrote:

> > On Sun, 17 Sep 2000, Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> >
> > > Obconlang: how are units of time handled in conlangs?  And I've been
> > > wondering how many natlangs have 7-day "weeks," and what other
> > > day-groupings are common.
>
> Grr, sent this message without actually writing what I wanted to
> write :-(
I've done it too.  :-p

> Valdyas happens to have weeks of 7 days, not to model "our" world,
> but because there are 7 gods who each rule one day. The major feasts
> of the gods (at the equinoxes and solstices) fall outside the week,
> and in leap years also New Year's Day, which otherwise coincides with
> the feast of Timoine at the spring equinox.
:-)  I'm holding off on specific things like equinoxes until I have some
clue what the solar system looks like, which is dependent on me finding
my boyfriend some time and locking him in a quiet room.  =^)  Either
that, or finding *myself* some time and playing around with the
astronomical websites someone posted a while back (whoever it was, thank
you!).

The only festivals I know of are the Festival of the Cherry Blossoms,
celebrating spring in both Avrezin and Qenar, and the Festival of the
Kites, celebrated in Qenar only to commemorate a battle in which kites
were used as scare-tactics (with some help from "special effects").

> The names of the days:
>
> Dochanei hanre - Day of the One
> Donanei hanre - Day of the Mother
> Anshein hanre - Day of Anshen
> Naighei hanre - Day of Naigha
> Mizrein hanre - Day of Mizran
> Timoinei hanre - Day of Timoine (I almost typed "Timonei" and indeed
>                                  in some dialects it may be so)
How lovely!  Someday I should construct a conlang that I actually like.
<wry look>  Chevraqis has never struck me as particularly aesthetic.

> hanre nafur - Day without a name; this day used to be Archan's, but
> he rebelled against the gods and his name was taken from him and the
> day moved to the end of the week. Nothing new is begun on this day,
> if one can help it, to make sure that it isn't ill-fated to begin
> with.
Neat!

I suspect days of the week in Chevraqis will be based on something like
5, and named after the elements.  Or perhaps I could pick another number
and construct a zodiac of some sort....

YHL