The Traditional Calendar
Like the Ancient Turks, the Chinese, and the Mongols, the Western Yugur traditionally used the calendar of the twelve-year animal cycle, in which each year was named after an animal, starting with the mouse. Aq ay, or New Year's day (aq white, ay month), falls between mid-January and mid-February.
Several old animal names have been preserved in the traditional calendar that are lost otherwise: the words uzh, ox, yüt, horse, and toñïs, pig, occur only in the context of the animal years. The common words for these animals are kus (ox), aht (horse), and qhawan (pig).
To express in what year one is born, one says: men yüt yillïgh, I am of the horse year, or kô toñïs yillïghtï, s/he is of the pig year.
The names of the years in Western Yugur No. Name of the year Meaning Years 1. shïghan yil year of the mouse 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 2. kus yil, uzh yil year of the ox 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 3. pahrsï yil year of the tiger 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 4. tusqan yil year of the hare 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 5. ulï yil year of the dragon 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 6. yilan yil year of the snake 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 7. aht yil, yüt yil year of the horse 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 8. qoy yil year of the sheep 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 9. pejin yil year of the monkey 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 10. tahqaghï yil year of the chicken 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969. 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 11. ïsht yil year of the dog 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 12. toñïs yil year of the pig 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
The Western Yugur names of the months are simply counted by number, as in Chinese.
The names of the months commonly consist of an ordinal number and the word for month, e.g. pïrïnçï ay, first month.
An alternative, apparently more recent term, consists of the cardinal number and the word for month, a system that is most likely calqued from Chinese (calque: loan translation). For example, January is called yiyuè, month one (yi one, yuè month) in Chinese, and the Western Yugur equivalent is pïre (pïr one, e ~ ay month).
The names of the months in Western Yugur No. Name of the month Meaning Month 1. pïrïnçï ay first month January 2. ïshkïnçï ay second month February 3. ühjinçï ay third month March 4. törtïnçï ay fourth month April 5. pisïnçï ay fifth month May 6. ahltïnçï ay sixth month June 7. yitïnçï ay seventh month July 8. saqïsïnçï ay eighth month August 9. tohqïsïnçï ay ninth month September 10. onïnçï ay tenth month October 11. pïr-yighïrmïnçï ay eleventh month November 12. ïshkï-yighïrmïnçï ay twelfth month December
The Western Yugur names of the days are also simply counted by number, as in Chinese.
The Chinese names of the days are based on the word xingqi, week (xing star, qi phase), followed by a number, e.g. xingqiyi, Monday or week[day] one (xingqi week, yi one).
The Western Yugur word for week is yitï khun, seven days (yitï seven, khun day), or simply yitï. The Western Yugur word for e.g. Monday is pïrïnçï yitï, first week[day]. An alternative name, mentioned only by Tenishev, is pïr yiltïs (pïr one, yiltïs star). Currently, also s'iñjhiyi, a straight loanword from Chinese, is used.
The names of the days in Western Yugur No. Name of the day Meaning Day 1. pïrïnçï yitï first seven Monday 2. ïshkïnçï yitï second seven Tuesday 3. ühjinçï yitï third seven Wednesday 4. törtïnçï yitï fourth seven Thursday 5. pisïnçï yitï fifth seven Friday 6. ahltïnçï yitï sixth seven Saturday 7. yitïnçï yitï seventh seven Sunday
In order to refer to a certain year in relation to this year, or a certain day with respect to today, Western Yugur has quite an elaborate system. Not all terms are transparent, but the elements -ghïn, -kïn in many of the terms relating to the days most likely derive from khun, day, and the elements -el, -lï from yil, year.
The names of the relative years Name of the relative year Meaning tahqï orihkel three years ago orihkel two years ago, the year before last pïhtïr last year pöylï this year thurti, yarïn next year törïm the year after next
The names of the relative days Name of the relative day Meaning tahqï orihkïn three days ago orihkïn two days ago, the day before yesterday thoghïn yesterday pughïn today taghïn tomorrow heghïn the day after tomorrow sïrahkïn in three days' time untïhrkïn in four days' time
The names of the times of the day Times of the day Meaning khuntïs during the day, in daytime thüni during the night, at night tañqar in the morning tañqar ehrti early in the morning khortï (< khunohrtï) at noon khuniñker in the afternoon kïhjigh khuniñker in the early afternoon pezïk khuniñker in the late afternoon yiñïrta in the evening thörïn at midnight kiji thüni yesterday evening, last night
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