Where does “biweekly” come from?
Biweekly comes from English bi- combined with week, where bi- derives from Latin bis meaning twice, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning two.
biweekly (English): Occurring once every two weeks; Occurring twice a...
Definitions
- Occurring once every two weeks; Occurring twice a...
Ancestry of “biweekly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | week | Any period of seven consecutive days; A period of... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyke | Alternative form of wikke; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 4 | German | witz | joke |
| 5 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 6 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |