kalends

The kalends of March was a day of new beginnings in the Roman calendar.

Definition

1. Noun (plural in form but singular in construction):
   • The first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar: "kalends" (also spelled "calends") refers specifically to the first day of each month in the Roman calendar, which coincided with the new moon. It was a day for settling debts and making official announcements.
   • A point of reference for dating: In Roman timekeeping, the "kalends" was used to calculate other days of the month, such as the "nones" and "ides."

Usage Examples

• (The first day of January was a sacred day.)
• (Financial obligations were settled on the first day.)

Advanced Usage

• "at the Greek kalends" (or "ad Kalendas Graecas"): an idiom meaning "never," because the Greek calendar did not have kalends. This phrase was used by the Roman Emperor Augustus.
  • He promised to repay the loan at the Greek kalends. (He effectively promised never to repay it.)

Variants and Related Words

• Calends (n): an alternative spelling of "kalends," more common in historical and astronomical contexts.

  • The calends of March marked the beginning of the Roman year. (The first day of March was the start of the year.)

• Kalendar (n): an archaic variant of "calendar," derived from "kalends."

  • The Roman kalendar was based on lunar cycles. (The Roman calendar was lunar-based.)

Synonyms

• New moon: the phase of the moon that marked the kalends.
• First day: the beginning of a month.

Related Idioms

• Greek kalends: a phrase meaning "a time that will never come."
  • He will finish his homework on the Greek kalends. (He will never finish it.)