Wednesday

English

Etymology

From Middle English Wednesday, from unattested Old English *wēdnesdæġ (“Wednesday”), synchronically an i-mutated form of attested wōdnesdæġ (itself from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdanas dag, its reflex Middle English Wodnesdei falling into disuse), from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdinas dag also attested in Old Frisian wednesdei and Middle Dutch wenesdach. In any case, a calque (interpretātiō germānica) of Latin diēs Mercuriī (“day of Mercury”) and Koine Ancient Greek ἡμέρα (hēméra, “day”) Ἑρμοῦ (Hermoû, “of Hermes”), via an association of the god Odin (“Woden”) with Mercury and Hermes. See also Japanese 水曜日 (“Mercury's day”).

Cognates

Cognate with Scots Wadensday (“Wednesday”), Yola Wennesdei (“Wednesday”), West Frisian woansdei (“Wednesday”), Afrikaans Woensdag (“Wednesday”), Central Franconian Jodesdaach (“Wednesday”), Dutch, West Flemish woensdag (“Wednesday”), Dutch Low Saxon woensdag, woonsdag, wonsdag (“Wednesday”), German Wodenstag, Wotanstag (“Wednesday”), Low German Goonsdag, Woonsdag (“Wednesday”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish onsdag (“Wednesday”), Faroese ónsdagur (“Wednesday”), Icelandic óðinsdagur (“Wednesday”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/, /ˈwɛnzdi/, (dated) /ˈwɛdn̩zdeɪ/
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/, /ˈwɛnzdi/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (General American); /ˈwɛdn̩zdeɪ/:(file)
  • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈwenzdæe/
  • (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈwɛ(ʔə)nzde/
  • (Geordie) IPA(key): /ˈwɛdⁿnzdeɪ/
  • (Indic) IPA(key): /ˈwɛ(ɖ)n(ə)sˌdeɪ/
  • Rhymes: -ɛnzdeɪ, -ɛnzdi, -ɛnzdɪ, -enzdæe, -ɛnzde
  • Hyphenation: Wednes‧day

Noun

Wednesday (plural Wednesdays)

  2. The fourth day of the week in many religious traditions, and the third day of the week in systems using the ISO 8601 norm; it follows Tuesday and precedes Thursday.
    • 2025 April 16, Devan Cole and Katelyn Polantz, “Boasberg finds ‘probable cause exists’ to hold Trump administration in contempt for violating orders on deportation flights”, in CNN‎[1]:
      US District Judge James Boasberg ruled Wednesday that “probable cause exists” to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for violating his orders in mid-March halting the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members.

Synonyms

Symbols

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Maori: Wenerei

Translations

Proper noun

Wednesday

  1. (UK, soccer) Nickname for Sheffield Wednesday of the Football League.

Adverb

Wednesday (not comparable)

  1. (US, Canada, informal in UK) On Wednesday.

Translations

See also

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old English wōdnesdæġ, from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdanas dag.

Forms in /ɛ/ likely reflect *wēdnesdæġ, from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdinas dag; compare Middle Dutch wenesdach (for usual woensdach) and Old Frisian wernisdei.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈwɔdnəzˌdæi̯/, /ˈwɔdənzˌdæi̯/, (syncopated) /ˈwɔnzˌdæi̯/ (from wōdnesdæġ)
  • IPA(key): /ˈwɛdnəzˌdæi̯/, /ˈwɛdənzˌdæi̯/, (syncopated) /ˈwɛnzˌdæi̯/ (from *wēdnesdæġ)

Noun

Wednesday

  1. Wednesday (fourth day of the week)

Derived terms

Descendants

See also

References

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