ic omilhuitl semana

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• yc omilhuitl semana (obsolete spelling)

Etymology

From ic ōme (“second”) +‎ ilhuitl (“day”) +‎ semana (“week”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [i.koːˈmiɬ.wit͡ɬ ʃiˈmaː.naʔ]

Noun

ic ōmilhuitl semana (inanimate)

1. Monday; the second day of the week.
   • 1555, Alonso de Molina, Aqui comienca vn vocabulario en la lengua castellana y mexicana, f. 157v:

     Lunes dia ſegundo dela ſemana.  lo meſmo. vel,yc omilhuitl ſema- / na.tlaomilhuiti.

     Monday, the second day of the week. the same. or yc omilhuitl ſemana. tlaomilhuiti.

   • 1571, Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, f. 79r. col. 1:

     Lunes dia ſegundo dela ſemana.lo miſmo.vel,yc o / milhuitl ſemana. tlaomilhuiti.

     Monday, the second day of the week. the same. or yc omilhuitl ſemana. tlaomilhuiti.

Usage notes

• It should be noted that the seven-day week was adopted by the Aztecs only after the Spanish conquest. Prior to Spanish arrival the Aztecs used two calendrical systems: the tōnalpōhualli (“day count”), divided into 20 trecenas, or periods of 13 days, for a total of 260 days; and the xiuhpōhualli (“year count”), divided into 18 periods of 20 days each, plus another 5 unlucky days, for a total of 365 days.

Synonyms

• lunes
• tlaōmilhuiti

References

• Alonso de Molina (1571) Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, Editorial Porrúa, page 79r