Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “weekday” come from?

Weekday comes from Middle English weke-day, combining Middle English weke from Old English wīc, ultimately from Proto-Germanic waikwaz and Proto-Indo-European weg-, with Old English dæġ from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰ- meaning "to burn" or "heat."

weekday (English): Any individual day of the week, except those...

Definitions

  1. Any individual day of the week, except those...

Ancestry of “weekday”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwykeday—
2Middle EnglishwykeAlternative form of wikke; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishwīcdwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;...
4Germanwitz—
5Middle High Germanwitz—
6Old High Germanwizzi—
7Proto-West Germanicwītīpunishment
8Proto-Germanicwitjąknowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit
9Proto-Germanic*witaną—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwóydeto have seen, to know
11Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

Words derived from “weekday”

  • weekdaily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →