Etymology Map
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Thursday

4 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the day of the week before Friday

Where does the word "thursday" come from? It comes from Latin diēs Iovis, passing through Old English and Old Norse before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
diēs Iovis
Latin · ancient
"Jupiter's day"
'Jupiter's day'; Germanic peoples matched Jupiter with their own thunder god
2
Stage 2 of 4
Þunresdæg
Old English · 700s-1000s
"Thunor's day"
'Thunor's day', named for the thunder god
3
Stage 3 of 4
Þórsdagr
Old Norse · 800s-1000s
"Thor's day"
Viking settlers' 'Thor's day' reshaped the English word
4
Stage 4 of 4
Thursday
English · 1200s
"Thursday"
the Norse-influenced 'Thurs-' replaced 'Thunres-' by the 1200s
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Read the full story

Thursday’s story begins in Latin: diēs Iovis meant “Jupiter's day.” 'Jupiter's day'; Germanic peoples matched Jupiter with their own thunder god. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as Þunresdæg. 'Thunor's day', named for the thunder god. From there it passed into Old Norse as Þórsdagr by 800s-1000s. Viking settlers' 'Thor's day' reshaped the English word. It reached English by 1200s as Thursday. The Norse-influenced 'Thurs-' replaced 'Thunres-' by the 1200s. Today, thursday means the day of the week before Friday.