Etymology Map
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Saturday

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the day of the week before Sunday

Where does the word "saturday" come from? It comes from Latin dies Saturni, passing through Old English before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dies Saturni
Latin · classical
"Saturn's day"
'day of Saturn', god of sowing, whose December festival was the Saturnalia
2
Stage 2 of 3
Sæternesdæg
Old English · medieval
"Saturn's day"
the one English day that kept the Roman god's name instead of a Germanic substitute; Dutch zaterdag did the same, while German Samstag comes from 'Sabbath'
3
Stage 3 of 3
Saturday
English · 1200s
"seventh day of the week"
Britain's Factory Act of 1850 ended textile mill work at 2 pm on Saturdays, the start of the Saturday half-holiday
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Read the full story

Saturday’s story begins in Latin: dies Saturni meant “Saturn's day.” 'day of Saturn', god of sowing, whose December festival was the Saturnalia. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old English as Sæternesdæg. The one English day that kept the Roman god's name instead of a Germanic substitute; Dutch zaterdag did the same, while German Samstag comes from 'Sabbath'. It reached English by 1200s as Saturday. Britain's Factory Act of 1850 ended textile mill work at 2 pm on Saturdays, the start of the Saturday half-holiday. Today, saturday means the day of the week before Sunday.