sb. pl. Forms: [1 sing. calend, kalendus], 4–5 calendis, kalendis, -es, (sing. kalende, 5 calende), (4 kalendez, -us, 5 kalandes, 5–6 kalendas), 5–7 calendes, (6 kalendies, callends, 7 calands), 6– calends, kalends. [ad. L. kalendæ, -as sb. pl., first day of the month, on which the order of days was proclaimed; f. root kal-, cal-, which appears in L. calāre, Gr. καλεῖν to call, proclaim. (Or a. F. kalendes, 13th c. in Littré.) The singular calend is rare and obs.; it occurs in OE. in the sense ‘month.’ No sing. was used in Latin.]
1. The first day of any month in the Roman calendar: the term was more or less retained in actual use down to the 17th c.
(The Romans reckoned the days forward to the Kalends, Nones, or Ides next following. Thus, ‘on the 27th of May’ was ‘ante diem sextum Kalendas Junias.’ This was loosely rendered into English as ‘the sixth of the Kalends of June,’ or ‘the sixth Kalends of June.’ Cf. NONES, IDES.)
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IX. xxi. (1495), 359. The fyrste daye of a monthe hath the name of Kalendis.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 345. By the kalendez of Juny we schalle encountre ones.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 93. Awaytiþ not þeis Egipcian daies, þat we call dysmal, ne kalendis of Janiuer.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., III. 30. In Marche Kalendes in the soile ydight.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. xlvii. 87/2. The fyrste daye of the yere, that is the fyrste Kalendas of Januarye.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1239/1. In the yeare of our redemption, one thousand, one hundred, thirtie and three, the fift calends of June, being the three and thirtith yeare of the reigne of Henrie the first.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 94. Wee tooke our iourney … about the kalends of June.
1626. Massinger, Rom. Actor, V. i. Thou Shalt die to-morrow, being the fourteenth of The Kalends of October.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 337. Those that belonged to the City, marched out safe the Seventh of the Calends of August.
c. 1764. Lloyd, Two Odes, Wks. 1774, I. 121. On thy blest Calends, April.
1844. Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), I. iii. 96. The calends of May and November.
b. With reference to debts and interest being then due: Settling day.
1643. Milton, Divorce (1851), Introd. 10. How they will compound, and in what Calends.
† 2. a. In OE. A month; also, appointed time, season.
a. 1000. Menol., 7 (Gr.). Se kalendus kymeð … us to tune; hine folc mycel Januarius heton. Ibid., 31. Kalend … Martius reðe.
a. 1000. Sal. & Sat., 479 (Gr.). Ær se dæʓ cyme, þæt sy his calend cwide (?) arunnen.
† b. In Scripture versions: Applied to the Jewish festival of the new moon. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. i. 14. Ȝoure kalendis and ȝoure solempnetees hatede my soule [1388 my soule hatith ȝoure calendis]. Ibid., 1 Sam. xx. 5. David seide to Jonathan, Loo! Kalendis ben to morwe.
1565. Jewell, Def. Apol. (1611), 60. God commanded the people to keepe the Calends and new Moones.
1609. Bible (Douay), Numb. xxviii. 11. In the Calendes you shal offer an holocaust to the Lord [1382 Wyclif, In the calendis forsothe, that is, in the bigynnyngis of monthes].
3. Phrases. † a. Calends of exchange: ? a money changer’s calendar, reckoning or account; hence, business or practical reckoning.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1647. This Troylus this lettre thought al straunge … Hym thought it like a Kalendes of chaunge.
1470. Harding, Chron., xiii. i. Brutus … called this Isle Briteyn … So was the name of this ilke Albyon All sette on side in Kalandes of achaunge. Ibid., lxxii. ii. Her goodlyhede … chaunged all his corage and manhede, In Kalandes of eschaunge he was [so] impressed.
b. On (at) the Greek Calends (L. ad Græcas kalendas): humorous for, Never; since the Greeks used no calends in their reckoning of time.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Consid. Parlt., Wks. (1711), 185. That Gold, Plate, and all Silver given to the Mint-House in these late Troubles, shall be paid at the Greek Kalends.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., s.v., At the Greek Calends, never; for the Greks have no Calends.
1872. O. W. Holmes, Poet Breakf.-t., i. 18. His friends looked for it only in the Greek Calends,—say on the 31st of April, when that should come round, if you would modernize the phrase.
1882. Garibaldi, in Macm. Mag., 253/2. So we go on from day to day, and the works are sent to the Greek Kalends.
† 4. fig. First days, beginning, first taste, prelude. (Also in sing.) Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. Prol. 7. Now of hope the kalendis bygynne.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., xiv. Sel. Wks. II. 261. Kalendis of þis siȝt hadde Poul whan he was ravyshed.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., VI. v. Gave me in hert kalendis of confort.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Rem. (1644), 114. What is age, but the Calends of death?
5. A calendar, record. (Also in sing. rare.)
1470. Harding, Chron., ccxl. xxix. I make you a kalende Of all the waie to Edenbourgth.
1590. Greene, Mourn. Garm. (1616), 45. Their looks are like Calends, that can determine no certaintie.
1601. Weever, Mirr. Mart., Sir J. Oldcastle, Ff iij b. Him for a Saint within your Kalends hold.
1866. E. H. Bickersteth, Yesterday, To-day, and For ever, XII. 317. Festivals that stand On the sidereal calends mark’d in light.
