The Armenian calendar is the calendar traditionally used in Armenia.
The older Armenian calendar was based on an invariant year length of 365 days. As a result, the correspondence between it and both the solar year and the Julian calendar slowly drifted over time, shifting across a year of the Julian calendar once in 1,461 calendar years (see Sothic cycle). Thus, the Armenian year 1461 (Gregorian 2010/2011) completed the first full cycle.
Armenian year 1 began on 11 July 552 of the Julian calendar, and Armenian year 1462 began on 11 July 2012 of the Julian calendar which coincided with 24 July 2012 of the Gregorian calendar.
An analytical expression of the Armenian date includes ancient name of Day of week, Christian name of Day of week, named Day of month, Date, Month, Year number after 552 A.D. and the religious feasts.
The Armenian calendar is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus an additional (epagomenal) five days are called aweleac? ("superfluous"). Years are usually given in Armenian numerals, letters of the Armenian alphabet preceded by the abbreviation for t'vin "in the year" (for example, ? "in the year 1455"). One may observe the real start date in future centuries in a Gregorian to Armenian Date Converter.
The Armenian month names show influence of the Zoroastrian calendar,[1] and, as noted by Antoine Meillet,[]Kartvelian influence in two cases. There are different systems for transliterating the names; the forms below are transliterated according to the Hübschmann-Meillet-Benveniste system.
# | Armenian | H-M Romaniz. |
Meaning | Etymology/Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | nawasard | new year | Avestan*nava sara | |
2 | ? | ho?i | two | From Georgian (ori) meaning "two" |
3 | sahmi | three | From Georgian ? (sami) meaning "three" | |
4 | tr? | Zoroastrian Tïr | ||
5 | k?a?oc? | month of crops | From Old Armenian (k?a?em) meaning "to gather" from PIE *k?l?- | |
6 | ? | arac? | From old armenian ?[2](arac?), meaning harvest time, harvest of grape/fruit | |
7 | ? | mehekan | festival of Mithra | Iranian *mihrak?n-; Zoroastrian Mitr? |
8 | ? | areg | sun month | From Old Armenian ? (arew) meaning "sun" from PIE *h?rew-i- also meaning sun |
9 | ahekan | fire festival | Iranian *?hrak?n-; Zoroastrian ?tar? | |
10 | mareri | mid-year | Avestan mai?ya?rya; Zoroastrian D?n | |
11 | margac? | |||
12 | hrotic? | Pahlavi *fravartak?n; Zoroastrian Spendarmat? | ||
13 | ?[3] | aweleac? | redundant, superfluous | Epagomenal days |
The Armenian calendar names the days of the month instead of numbering them - a peculiarity also found in the Avestan calendars. Zoroastrian influence is evident in five names.[1]
# | Name | Armenian Text | Meaning/derivation |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Areg | ? | sun |
2 | Hrand | earth mixed with fire | |
3 | Aram | ? | |
4 | Margar | prophet | |
5 | Ahrank' | half-burned | |
6 | Mazde? | ||
7 | Ast?ik | Venus | |
8 | Mihr | Mithra | |
9 | Jopaber | tumultuous | |
10 | Murç | triumph | |
11 | Erezhan | hermit | |
12 | Ani | name of a city | |
13 | Parkhar | ||
14 | Vanat | host, refectioner of a monastery | |
15 | Aramazd | Ahura Mazda | |
16 | Mani | beginning | |
17 | Asak | beginningless | |
18 | Masis | Mount Ararat | |
19 | Anahit | Anahit | |
20 | Aragats | Mount Aragats | |
21 | Gorgor | name of a mountain | |
22 | Kordvik | 6th province in Armenia Major | |
23 | Tsmak | east wind | |
24 | Lusnak | half-moon | |
25 | Tsr?n | dispersion | |
26 | Npat | Apam Napat | |
27 | Vahagn | Zoroastrian Vahr?m; Avestan Verethragna, name of the 20th day | |
28 | Sim | mountain | |
29 | Varag | name of a mountain | |
30 | Gi?eravar | evening star |