weekend
/ˈwiːk.ɛnd/
noun
Origin
English
week + end — The concluding part of the seven-day cycle.
Overview
Meaning Now
- The period from Friday evening or Saturday morning until Sunday evening, typically used for rest, recreation, or non-work activities.
Literal older meaning
the end of the week
Language path
Germanic → Middle English → English
Earliest form
week-end
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The concept of the 'weekend' as a distinct period of leisure is a relatively modern invention, tied closely to the Industrial Revolution and the labor movement's push for shorter working hours, specifically the transition from a six-day work week to a five-day one in the early 20th century.
Evolution
- Old English
wicu
“a cycle of seven days”
- Old English
ende
“limit, boundary, or termination”
- 17th Century
week-end
“the period at the end of the week”
First recorded in northern English dialects referring to the time off at the end of the work week.
- Late 19th Century
weekend
“the modern concept of a leisure period”
Popularized as the standard term for the Saturday-Sunday break as labor laws changed.
Connections
Word parts
week
root
a seven-day period
end
root
termination
Related across languages
Dutch
weekeinde
weekend
German
Wochenende
weekend
Explore next
Related to weekend
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.