Where does “week” come from?
Week derives from Middle English weke, Old English wice, Proto-Germanic waikwaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots weg-, weyk-, and wey-, ultimately relating to the concept of turning or rotation.
week (English): Any period of seven consecutive days; A period of...
Definitions
- Any period of seven consecutive days; A period of...
Ancestry of “week”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wyke | Alternative form of wikke; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 3 | German | witz | joke |
| 4 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 5 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |