How Long Is a Fortnight? Definition and Origin
You have probably heard someone mention a “fortnight” and paused to count how many days that actually is. It is one of those words that feels both old-fashioned and perfectly natural in British conversation.
Days in a fortnight: 14 ·
Old English root: fēowertīene niht (fourteen nights) ·
Primary usage region: British English, Commonwealth ·
First known use: before 12th century
Quick snapshot
1Fortnight definition
- 14 days, exactly two weeks (Etymonline (etymology dictionary))
2Why ‘fortnight’?
- From Old English fourteen nights tradition (Wikipedia (encyclopedic reference))
3Other day periods
- 15, 20, 21 days have no standard name in English (Merriam-Webster (authoritative dictionary))
4Where it’s used
- UK, Ireland, Commonwealth; rare in US (Wiktionary (collaborative dictionary))
Five facts in one place give you the essential picture of what a fortnight is and how it sits in the English language.
