week
/wiːk/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*wikōn- — a turning, succession
Overview
Meaning Now
- A period of seven consecutive days.
Literal older meaning
change, turn, or succession
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
wicu
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The concept of a seven-day week is ancient, though the specific Germanic term highlights the cyclical nature of time (a 'turn' or 'succession'). It likely replaced older lunar-based or market-day-based counting systems in Germanic cultures.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*weik-
“to bend, wind, or turn”
Base meaning of moving or rotating.
- Proto-Germanic
*wikōn-
“a turning, change, or series”
Developing the sense of a cyclical time period.
- Old English
wicu
“week”
Stable form found in various West Germanic dialects.
- Middle English
weeke
“week”
Standardized spelling development.
Connections
Word parts
week
root
a seven-day cycle
Related across languages
Old High German
wehha
week
Old Norse
vika
week
Gothic
wikō
order, turn
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.