fortnight (English)

Where does "fortnight" come from?

The English word 'fortnight' comes from the Middle English forms 'fourtenyght' and 'fourtene nyght'[1]. These trace back to the Old English phrase 'fēowertīene niht', which translates literally to 'fourteen nights'[1][2]. This phrasing reflects the historical practice of the Anglo-Saxons, who traditionally counted time by nights rather than days[1]. Over time, the phrase shifted in form while retaining its core meaning of a two-week period.

Full etymology tree

• fortnight (English), 'A period of 2 weeks.'
  • inherited fourtenyght (Middle English), 'fortnight (fourteen nights; two weeks)'
    • inherited fēowertīene niht (Old English)
      • compound feowertiene (Old English), 'fourteen'
      • compound niht (Old English), 'night'

Ancestors

• fourtenyght (Middle English)

Descendants and derived words

• microfortnight (English)
• millifortnight (English)
• nanofortnight (English)

Sources

1. fortnight (English) - Wiktionary
2. fourtenyght (Middle English) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

More words starting with F

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris