|
 May 10, 2013
 
Word of the Week--"fortnight"
Definition----a period of fourteen days; two weeks.
Discussion--Fortnight is the one word equivalent of the two words "two weeks". Perhaps it's slightly more economical in that sense, but mostly fortnight is an antiquated expression. Many of us get paid every two weeks; few of us consider that we are paid fortnightly.
Etymology--Fortnight comes from the Old English feowertiene niht, meaning 14 nights. Over time it was compressed to create the new term.
Most non-English languages do not have an equivalent one-word term, and instead only refer to two weeks. Of these samples, only Spanish has a one-word term; although French and Dutch do have one-word terms for bimonthly, the equivalent of fortnightly. Foreign Translations Translation
Adjectival Form
Spanish:
quincena
cada quincena
French:
quinze jours
bimensuel(le)
Dutch:
veertien dagen
veertiendaags
German:
14 Tage
alle 14 Tage
Italian:
quindici giorni
ogni quindici giorni
More To Explore
|
You May LikeContact & About
|
||||
