Inyanga's Star and Other Constellations

A/N Constellations Appendix

Magicians College Hall Names

Derived from real-world constellations as named by different cultures.

Al-Maysan Hall: الميسان‎ Traditional name of the Orion constellation, deriving from Arabic الميسان‎ al-maysān, "The Shining One."

Sanxing Hall: 三星 the three major stars of Shenxiu, named for Chinese gods of the three stars, Fu, Lu, and Shou; Lu 祿 is a star in Ursa Minor, while in Chinese astronomy, it's the sixth star in the Wenchang cluster.

Ad-Dafīra Library: Leo constellation, originally from Arabic الضفيرة‎ aḍ-ḍafīra, "the braid (or curl, or strand) (of the lion's mane)"

Constellations Months

Months of the year come from Latin; however, I put half of them into the feminine gender, for example, September is Septembris. The year starts in March so that the fifth month, Quintilis, is actually fifth, and the tenth month, December, is tenth, and so on.

Martia (March)

Aprilis (April)

Maia (May Feminine)

Iunius (June)

Quintilis (July Feminine)

Sextilis (August)

Septembris (Feminine)

October (October)

Novembris (Feminine)

December 

Ianuaria (January Feminine)

Februarius (February)

Days of the week — Derived from Latin

dies, day singular

dies Solis, day of the Sun

dies Lunae, day of the Moon

dies Martis, day of Mars

dies Mercurii, day of Mercury

dies Iovis, day of Jupiter

dies Veneris, day of Venus

dies Saturni, day of Saturn

Time Telling Terminology

In the Constellations series, words used to tell the time are based off Roman time-telling, when the hours of the day could only be counted by the sun's travel in the sky. Romans read the sundial to tell what hour of the day it was. Hours were thus longer in summer, when the sun was up for longer, and hours were shorter in winter.

The first light, prima lux, was followed by 30 minutes of twilight, called diluculum.

The day began at sunrise, solis ortum. From the end of the first hour after sunrise, every hour is counted in order, from Prima (first) to Duodecima (twelfth), and then the sun sets.

Sunset is called solis occasus or suprema, and when the sun had sunk below the horizon, 30 minutes of twilight followed, called crepusculum, before nightfall, vespera.

Prima Lux: First Light

Diluculum: Twilight

Solis Ortum: Sunrise

hora prima: first hour

hora secunda: second . . .

hora tertia

horta quarta

hora quinta

hora sexta/meridies: Noon/midday

hora septa

hora octava

hora nona

hora decima

hora undecima

hora duodecima

Solis occasus: Sunset

Crepusculum: Twilight

Vespera: Nightfall

This appendix will grow as more information becomes relevant to the story. Is there anything I should add? What do you have questions about?

If you have a star to leave behind for me, it'll fuel my research capabilities, thanks friends!!