Etymology Map
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Week

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a period of seven days

Where does the word "week" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic wikǭ, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
wikǭ
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"turn, succession"
meant a turn or succession, from a root meaning to bend or change
2
Stage 2 of 3
wicu
Old English · 700s-1000s
"week"
the seven-day week came with Christianity and the Roman calendar
3
Stage 3 of 3
week
English · 1500s
"week"
'weekend' is a northern English word from the 1870s
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Read the full story

Week’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: wikǭ meant “turn, succession.” Meant a turn or succession, from a root meaning to bend or change. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as wicu. The seven-day week came with Christianity and the Roman calendar. It reached English by 1500s as week. 'weekend' is a northern English word from the 1870s. Today, week means a period of seven days.