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• introduction

Months, seasons, year

A year (jiiri) has four seasons (waati taaci) that differ from the seasons in western Europe. A year has twelve month (handu way nda hinka), but there is a traditonal Islamic calender. However, also the Roman calender is used.

Months

The traditional Zarma names of the months (handu yaŋ) are linked to the Islamic lunar calendar. However many Zarma don't know the names of the month of this calendar, especially the first six. Everyone knows the fast month (me haw), and the month of the sacrifice (cimsi), but probably not one in ten could recite to you the whole twelve. Most how now are older people (dottijey).

A lunar month begins with the first day the new moon is visible. This is not at what we call 'new moon'.

Roman calender

* information provided by Hadji Somaco Pastor (Antwerp, Belgium)

Expressions with month

Seasons

Information about the climate in western Niger in cities along the river

Gaya (west, south)
Niamey (west, central)
Tillabéri (west, north)

Year

The Zarma society is mainly a Islamic calendar. Therefore the months (handu yaŋ) are linked to the lunar Islamic calendar. A year (jiiri) is about 10 days (zaari way or jirbi way) shorter using the Islamic lunar calendar than when using the solar calendar. And so the various feast days shift backwards that many days each year.

There are several words in Zarma to express last year, next year, et cetera.