Дауг Еуэль wrote:
> The word "numeric" was intended to convey that some day names
> are based
> on numbers instead of, say, Norse gods. The Russian derivation of
> certain day names from numbers is not nearly as transparent as the
> Portuguese "segunda-feira." Perhaps I should have made that
> distinction.
Moreover, the fact that names of calendar items are based on numbers is no
warranty that their modern numbering corresponds to the etymology.
E.g., I guess that most educated Portuguese speakers would say than Tuesday
is the second day of the week, regardless that it is called "terça" ("third
one", literally).
On the other hand, all children who speak romance languages are very puzzled
when they discover that September, October, November and December are not
supposed to be the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th months, as they names clearly
suggests.
_ Marco
