สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 27 No. 3 Jul.-Sept. 2002 °”‡π‘ ¥™◊Ë Õ‡¥◊ Õπ ˜¯Ù Abstract Origins of the Names of Months Nibondh Saibejra Fellow, the Academy of Science, the Royal Institute, Thailand There are two types of months used in the Thai calendar, namely lunar and solar months. Thai lunar months are named in consecutive order having 29 days in an odd-numbered month and 30 days in an even-numbered month. In order to have lunar months occur in good order with the seasons, an extra lunar month, that is, a second eighth month is added to every 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 17 and 19 lunar years of this 19-lunar-year cycle or Metonic cycle. Thus, these years are called leap lunar years; they have 13 lunar months in each such year. Also, an extra day is added to the seventh lunar month every 6, 12, 17, 22, 28, 33 and 38 years in the 38-lunar-year cycle. Therefore, these are known as leap lunar years. For the names of solar months, the Greek and Latin words used are quite different from those of Thai origin. From ancient Roman times, January was named after Janus, the God of Gates and Doors, having two faces: one looking back to the past and the other looking to the future. February was named after the underworld God Februs; March was named after the God of War, Mars; April was named after the word aprilis meaning “to open”; May was named after the Goddess Maia; June was for Juno; July was named after Julius Caesar; August was after Augustus Caesar; September, October, November and December are respectively the 7 th , 8 th , 9 th and 10 th months based on the Latin roots for those numbers. But the Thai solar months are named after signs of the Zodiac, namely January is Makarakom whichmeans the Sun has been inCapricornus, February is Koompapan (the Sun has been inAquarius), March is Meenakom (the Sun has been in Pisces), April is Mesayon (the Sun has been in Aries), May is Pruespakom (the Sun has been in Taurus), June is Mitunayon (the Sun has been in Gemini), July is Karakadakom (the Sun has been in Cancer), August is Singhakom (the Sun has been in Leo), Septem- ber is Kanyayon (the Sun has been in Virgo), October is Tulakom (the Sun has been in Libra), No- vember is Pruesajikayon (the Sun has been in Scorpius), December is Tanwakom (the Sun has been in Sagittarius). Note that the Thai months ending with “kom” have 31 days while those ending with “yon” have 30 days. The special ending “pan” is for February, which has 29 days in a leap year and 28 days in an ordinary year. Key word : name of the month