Wednesday

Wednesday is one of the seven days of the week. In the Somali counting system, which conventionally begins on Sunday, Wednesday is the fourth day; it falls between Tuesday and Thursday.

The name 'Arbaco' is derived from Arabic الأربعاء (al-arbicaa'), which is rooted in the number four (arbaca). Similarly, most Somali day names come from Arabic—for example Isniin (two), Talaado (three), and Khamiis (five). This shows that the system of naming days follows Arabic counting and begins the week on Sunday.

Position in the week

Different systems worldwide place Wednesday at different positions. According to the international standard ISO 8601, which begins the week on Monday, Wednesday is the third day and falls in the middle of the working week. Systems beginning on Sunday—as is common in the Middle East, the United States, and parts of Asia—place it as the fourth day.

Names in other languages

Many European languages derive the name for this day from the Roman planetary system. English 'Wednesday' comes from the Germanic god Woden. French 'Mercredi' and Italian 'Mercoledì' derive from 'dies Mercurii', the day of the god Mercury. Turkish 'Çarşamba' comes from Persian چهارشنبه (chahar-shanbe), meaning 'the fourth day of the week'—likewise based on counting.

Social use

In places where Wednesday is an ordinary working day, it is used for meetings, markets, and school schedules. In some Muslim countries where the weekend is Friday and Saturday, Wednesday is a midweek working day. In Islamic religious practice, Wednesday holds no special status comparable to Friday.