A Comparative-Philological Analysis of Kalendae: Semantic Origins and the Conceptualization of Time in Indo-European Languages

A Comparative Philological Note on the Semantic Origins of Calendar

The standard etymological account derives calendar from Latin calendarium (“account book, register”), itself formed from Kalendae, the Roman term for the first day of the month. While this derivation accurately describes the term’s attested Latin usage, it does not address the semantic motivation underlying the formation of Kalendae itself. From a comparative-philological perspective, such administrative explanations may reflect secondary institutionalization rather than primary conceptual origin.
This study advances a semantic-comparative hypothesis, examining whether the phonological form Kalendae corresponds to a deeper conceptual structure preserved in other Indo-European languages, particularly Albanian, which is frequently noted for retaining archaic semantic patterns.
Morphological Segmentation and Semantic Parallels
For analytical purposes, the form Kalendae may be segmented as ka + le + ndae. When compared with Albanian lexical material, each segment yields plausible semantic correspondences:

ka (“has,” “exists”), denoting presence or actuality
le / lind (“to be born,” “to emerge”)
ndae / nda (“to divide,” “to separate”)
These elements collectively form a semantic field centered on emergence through separation, a concept fundamental to early temporal and cosmological cognition.

Alternative Contraction: ka lind-a

In addition to the tripartite segmentation above, an alternative interpretation may be proposed in which Kalendae reflects a contracted or unified form comparable to Albanian ka lind-a (“has been born”). In Albanian semantic structure, the notion of birth (lind) inherently implies separation (nda), as birth is understood as the separation of the child from the body of the mother. Under this interpretation, le and nda are not discrete morphemes but integrated aspects of a single primordial concept.

This semantic fusion is further supported by Albanian cosmological expressions such as lind dielli (“the sun is born”), used to describe sunrise. The same conceptual model applies to sunset as well: the emergence of light is simultaneously a separation from darkness, just as night represents the separation of light from the visible world. In this framework, temporal transition is linguistically encoded as birth-through-separation rather than as an abstract calendrical unit.

Implications for the Conceptualization of Time

Under both analytical models—the segmented (ka + le + ndae) and the contracted (ka lind-a)—the underlying semantic structure remains consistent. Time is conceptualized as cyclical emergence produced by separation, particularly the alternation of light and darkness. The Roman institutional use of Kalendae and calendarium may thus represent a later formalization of an older cosmological concept into administrative practice.

Cosmological Significance of Kalendae

The semantic field associated with Kalendae extends beyond linguistic segmentation and incorporates observations of natural cycles. In Albanian, as in other Indo-European traditions, the concept of lind (“to be born,” “to emerge”) applies to the sun (lind dielli), the day, and the first day of the month or year. Each instance represents a temporal beginning marked by emergence and separation.

This pattern reflects a cosmological principle: the daily rotation of the sun divides night from day, producing light from darkness. The rising sun “gives birth” to the day, the first day of the month, and the first day of the year, establishing temporal units through observable celestial movement. The symbolic and conceptual significance of this process predates Roman institutionalization by hundreds of thousands of years, indicating that Kalendae may encode an ancient, cosmologically grounded understanding of time.

Thus, Kalendae can be interpreted not merely as an administrative term, but as a linguistic preservation of primordial human engagement with cyclical time, in which emergence and separation form the basis of temporal cognition

Methodological Considerations

This analysis does not claim direct lexical borrowing from Albanian into Latin. Rather, it suggests that both languages may preserve reflexes of a shared Indo-European semantic substrate. The argument remains semantic and comparative in nature and does not replace historical-phonological analysis, which would require broader cross-linguistic and chronological evidence.

Conclusion

From a strictly comparative-philological perspective, the conventional derivation of calendar explains attested administrative usage but does not fully account for semantic motivation. The Albanian parallels examined here—both segmented and contracted—indicate that Kalendae may encode an archaic conceptualization of time grounded in birth, emergence, and separation, consistent with early Indo-European cosmological thought.