calends
Very low / ArchaicHistorical / Literary
Definition
Meaning
The first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar.
A time that never arrives (in the phrase 'at the Greek calends'). It also refers historically to the first day of a month, when accounts were due and new moons were announced.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Now almost exclusively used in historical contexts or in the idiom 'at the Greek calends' (or 'kalends'), which humorously means 'never', as the Greeks did not use calends.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference. The spelling 'kalends' is equally common in both varieties, with 'calends' being the slightly more traditional English spelling.
Connotations
Purely historical/literary in both.
Frequency
Extremely rare in modern usage for both. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British historical texts due to the classical education tradition.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The calends of [Month]at the Greek calendsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “at the Greek calends (meaning 'never')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used in modern business contexts.
Academic
Used in historical, classical studies, or philological texts discussing the Roman calendar.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Specific term in historical chronology and ancient Roman studies.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This word is not taught at A2 level.
- 'Calends' is a very old word for the first day of the month.
- In ancient Rome, debts were often due on the calends of each month.
- The historian noted that the decree was dated 'the calends of Quintilis', which we now call July.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CALENDar Starts' with 'calends' – it's the start of the Roman calendar month.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CALENDAR (with specific, fixed points). 'Never' is conceptualised as a date that does not exist in a given system (Greek calends).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'календарь' (calendar). The closest concept is the historical term 'календы' (kalendy), but it is not used in modern Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to refer to a modern calendar. Mispronouncing it as /kəˈlɛndz/. Using it outside of historical/idiomatic contexts.
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'at the Greek calends' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an archaic term used almost exclusively in historical writing or in the fixed idiom 'at the Greek calends'.
There is no difference in meaning. 'Calends' is the traditional English spelling from Latin 'calendae'. 'Kalends' is a spelling that more directly reflects the classical Latin pronunciation with a 'k'.
No, the calends were a feature of the Roman calendar. The idiom 'at the Greek calends' plays on this fact to mean a day that will never come.
They are other divisions of the Roman month. The calends was the 1st. The nones was typically the 7th (in March, May, July, October) or the 5th (in other months). The ides was the 15th or the 13th, following the same pattern.