People every day come across everyday things and phenomena and often do not think about their meaning and inner essence. And only children, with their unexpected questions, sometimes remind adults how much fascinating and informative is hidden in the seemingly most ordinary objects and phenomena of the surrounding world. For example, few people think about why Thursday was called Thursday, but meanwhile, this issue has a very interesting history that goes back to ancient times.
Thursday: the origin of the word in Slavic languages
Why is Thursday called Thursday? You do not need to be a linguist and philologist to guess that this word comes from an ordinal number. Thursday is the fourth day of the week, and its name in Russian very logically reflects the essence of the designated phenomenon.
If you delve into the history and origin of the word, the ancient Slavs denoted the fourth day of the week with the word "chefry". Over timethe pronunciation of the word was simplified: the sound "t" disappeared, and the end of the word acquired a shade of sonority. The fact is that after the voiced sound "r" it is easier to pronounce the same voiced sound "g" than the voiceless "k".
Thursday is also denoted in a similar way in other modern Slavic languages: "chatsver" in Belarusian, "four" - in Ukrainian, čtvrtek - in Czech, "chetvrtak" - in Croatian and Serbian.
In general, it is not surprising why Thursday was called so by a variety of nations. All of them have a common origin, and only after many centuries the ancient Slavs separated, began to live in different territories and develop independently. However, the similarity in the names of the most common words in the languages of this group confirms that the named peoples had the same root of origin.
The word "Thursday" in modern European languages
So, it became clear why Thursday was called Thursday in Slavic languages. But the linguistic world is diverse, as is the linguistic and cultural consciousness of different peoples. Of particular interest is European culture, which has a rich history.
How do other nations call the day of the week Thursday? In modern languages derived from Latin, an interesting trend can be traced. For example, Thursday is jeudi in French, jueves in Spanish, and giovedi in Italian. To understand the reasons for this similarity, let us turn to Latin, to which their origins date back. In this language, "Thursday" literally means "the day of Jupiter" (Jovis dies), in ancient times the most revered god in ancient Rome.
The Germans and the British, when designating the fourth day of the week, use the words Donnerstag and Thursday, which go back to the name of Thor - the god of thunder, storm and lightning. By the way, Donner is translated from German as thunder. In the Netherlands, Thursday is called Donderdag, in Norway - torsdag, in Sweden - torsdag.
The image of Jupiter in different peoples and cultures
So, in the ancient Roman culture, the supreme god of thunder was called Jupiter. In ancient German mythology, Jupiterian qualities - power, power - were attributed to the god Thor.
In ancient Greece, the king of the gods was called Zeus, who symbolized light, justice and honor. The prosperity and well-being of the people depended on its location, since it sent not only thunder and lightning to the earth, but also rains promising a harvest. Zeus gave freedom, victory, triumph, and also patronized travel and education.
It should be noted that Jupiter is a very popular and widespread character. Its correspondences are known in Hinduism, among the peoples of ancient Transcaucasia, as well as in Asian cultures. Despite different names, the image of this deity existed and exists in the minds of people inhabiting the whole world.
Jupiter in the occult sciences
It is no coincidence that the planet Jupiter was known in ancient times. It seems impossible that people in those ancient times, who did not even know the concept of modern technology, could know the characteristics and qualities of this largest planet in the solar system,located fifth from the Sun. Nevertheless, representatives of ancient civilizations possessed valuable information not only about the physical properties of Jupiter, but also about the impact that it has on the Earth and living creatures inhabiting it.
The ancients revered the planet Jupiter for the fact that it brings prosperity and luck, we alth and luck. Jupiter is the planet of generosity, generosity and self-confidence. Thanks to its influence, people open up new horizons, strive to develop physically, mentally and spiritually.
Thursday is the day of Jupiter
The excursion into history was interesting, but the question remains, why is Thursday, also known as the day of Jupiter, according to ancient tradition, exactly the fourth day of the week? The answer is suggested by the ancient astrologers who designated the planet Jupiter in their writings, as in the picture below.
Isn't this sign very much like the number four? Modern astronomers and astrologers use the same symbol.
In connection with this discovery, it may be worth heeding the recommendations and devoting Thursday to Jupiterian affairs: education, training, helping others and empowering yourself.
So, completing our little study of why Thursday was called Thursday, we came to an unexpected conclusion. The knowledge of previous generations has not disappeared, they are contained in the occult sciences, previously carefully hidden from prying eyes. And only recently, many of the intellectual treasures of the ancient world have become available to the general public, and people withsurprised to notice that the knowledge of ancestors not only does not contradict the latest research, but also significantly complements the picture of the perception of the world of modern man.
