Monday

Monday is one of the seven days of the week. In Somali, the name derives from an Arabic word related to the number two (ithnayn), since the day falls on the second day of the week when counting from Sunday.

According to the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is the first day of the week. However, other traditions—notably Jewish, some Christian, and Islamic practice—begin counting from Sunday or Saturday, making Monday the second day. Neither system changes the actual sequence of the days.

Name and origin

Somali names for the days of the week are generally based on an Arabic numbering system: Isniin (second), Talaado (third), Arbaco (fourth), Khamiis (fifth). Some European languages derive their names from the moon: English 'Monday' and French 'Lundi' both refer to the moon, stemming from an earlier system in which days were named after celestial bodies. Turkish 'Pazartesi' means 'after the market (on Sunday)'.

Work and social significance

In many countries where the working week runs Saturday to Sunday, Monday is the first day on which offices, schools, and financial markets reopen. In some Muslim countries, including Somalia, the weekly holiday typically falls on Friday (and sometimes Saturday), so Monday is an ordinary working day with no special observance.

Date calculation

In computing and date reckoning, Monday is assigned a fixed numerical value in various systems. For example, the well-known Zeller's algorithm can determine the day of the week for any given date. The ISO 8601 standard also uses Monday as the basis for defining the weeks of the year, with each week beginning on Monday.