calends the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar. Recorded from Old English (denoting an appointed time) the word comes via Old French from Latin kalendae, calendae ‘first day of the month’ (when accounts were due and the order of days was proclaimed), and is related to Latin calare and Greek kalein ‘call, proclaim’.

See also at the Greek calends.

calends XIV. — (O)F. calendes — L. kalendæ, acc. -as, first day of the month, when the order of days was proclaimed, f. *kal- call, proclaim, as in L. calāre, Gr. kaleîn.