Writing Dates

the months, seasons, weekdays, and how to write a date with them

This article is useful here: Calendars of Arda

Elves use a different calendar than humans, and humans have used several different calendars over the years.

A year is an în or idhrin. The word for an Age is andran.

Eldarin Calendar

The Elven calendar is based upon seasons instead of months.

• Orvinui First Day - 1 day long
• Ethuil Spring - 54 days long
• Laer Summer - 72 days long
• Iavas Autumn - 54 days long
• Enedhin Mid-year - 3 days long
• Firith or Narbeleth Fading - 54 days long
• Rhîw Winter - 72 days long
• Echuir Stirring - 54 days long
• Penninor Last Day - 1 day long

• Every 12 years the Enedhin are doubled
• The last leap year of a 144-year cycle, the Enedhin are not doubled.

• Orgilion – Starday
• Oranor – Sunday
• Orithil – Moonday
• Orgaladhad – Bitreeday
• Ormenel – Heavenday
• Orbelain or Rodyn – Valaday

The King's Reckoning

This reckoning system begins with the founding of Númenor, and ends in Arnor and Gondor with the line of Kings.

• *Orvinui First Day - 1 day long
• Narwain January - 30 days long
• Nínui February - 30 days long
• Gwaeron March - 30 days long
• Gwirith April - 30 days long
• Lothron May - 30 days long
• Nórui June - 31 days long
• Enedhin Mid Year's Day - 1 day long
• Cerveth July - 31 days long
• Urui August - 30 days long
• Ivanneth September - 30 days long
• Narbeleth October - 30 days long
• Hithui November - 30 days long
• Girithron December - 30 days long
• Penninor Last Day - 1 day long

• Every fourth year, there are two enedhin instead of one.
• The last leap year of the century has no days added.

Week (humans add an extra day, making it a 7 day week)

• Orgilion – Starday
• Oranor – Sunday
• Orithil – Moonday
• Orgaladh – Treeday
• Ormenel – Heavenday
• Orbelain or Rodyn - Valarday
• Oraearon – Seaday

Steward's Reckoning

With the end of Kings a new calendar began, created by Mardil. This lasted until the end of the War of the Ring.

• *Orvinui First Day - 1 day long
• Narwain January - 30 days long
• Nínui February - 30 days long
• Gwaeron March - 30 days long
• *Tuilor Spring Day - 1 day long
• Gwirith April - 30 days long
• Lothron May - 30 days long
• Nórui June - 30 days long
• Enedhin Mid Year's Day - 1 day long
• Cerveth July - 30 days long
• Urui August - 30 days long
• Ivanneth September - 30 days long
• *Iavor Harvest Day - 1 day long
• Narbeleth October - 30 days long
• Hithui November - 30 days long
• Girithron December - 30 days long
• Penninor Last Day - 1 day long

• Every fourth year, there are two enedhin instead of one.
• The last leap year of the century has no days added.

The New Reckoning

The beginning of the year was moved to the spring, like the Eldarin calendar. The change started on March 25th of the Steward's Reckoning, to celebrate the fall of Sauron.

• *Orvinui First Day - 1 day long
• Gwirith April - 30 days long
• Lothron May - 30 days long
• Nórui June - 30 days long
• Cerveth July - 30 days long
• Urui August - 30 days long
• Ivanneth September - 29 days long
• *Corvor Ring Day - 1 day long
• Enedhin Mid Year's Day - 3 days long
• Narbeleth October - 30 days long
• Hithui November - 30 days long
• Girithron December - 30 days long
• Narwain January - 30 days long
• Nínui February - 30 days long
• Gwaeron March - 30 days long
• Penninor Last Day - 1 day long

• Every fourth year, *Corvor is doubled.
• For the last leap year of each century, no day is added.

Reviewing Numbers is a good idea right now.

Writing a date involves these prepositions:

• erin on the (mixed mutation)
• n(a) at (vocalic mutation)
• uin from the (mixed mutation)

Use them like so:

Erin Urui dadui: 7102, i iell nîn onnen. - On the 2nd of August, 2017, my daughter was born.
I oronnad dîn tadui uin Urui: 7102. - Her birthday is 2nd from the August, 2017.
Govadathab n'Oranor? - Shall we meet at Sunday?

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