Information about Kalends

The Kalends (Latin k/calendæ, -arum), (or calends) correspond to the first days of each month of the Roman calendar. This term can be traced back to the Etruscans, which could explain the appearance of the letter k, a letter less favoured by Latin than the letter c (the few Latin words containing a k are often borrowed from the Etruscans). Another explanation of the word's roots is that it is from the Latin language: from the word calendae (the called), from the infinitive calare (to call).

The Romans assigned these kalends to the first day of the month, signifying the start of the new moon cycle. On that day, the pontiffs would announce the rest days for the upcoming month, and the debitors had to pay off their debts that were inscribed in the calendaria, a sort of accounts book. The date (in this calendar system) was measured relative to days such as the Kalends, Nones or Ides, for example, in modern terms, three days past Kalends would be the 4th of the month. This sort of system would be used to date documents, diary entries, etc.

The rules for computation by kalends are included in the following verses:

Prima Dies Mensis cujusque est dicta Calendæ :

Sex Majus Nonas, October, Julius, et Mars ;

Quatuor at reliqui : Dabit Idus quilibet Octo.

Inde Dies reliquos omnes dic esse Calendas ;

Quas retro numerans dices a Mense sequente. ^[1]

To find the day of the Kalends we are in, count how many days remain in the month, and to that number add two. For example, April 22nd is the 10th of the Kalends of May, because there are 8 days left in April, to which 2 being added, the sum is 10.^[1]

This word forms the basis of a collection of words in the English language, notably calendar.

References