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sennight

sennight

1 9.9
A period of seven days
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛnnaɪt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : semana
  • Last sennight, we celebrated my sister's birthday with a party.

Examples

  • In old English texts, you may find the word sennight used instead of 'week'.

  • The project is due in a sennight.

  • They agreed to meet again in a sennight.

  • The letter promised a reply within a sennight of its receipt.

  • A sennight is seven days long.

  • He plans to travel for a full sennight before returning home.

  • After working hard all day, I enjoy relaxing for a sennight at the beach.

Synonyms

week
vssennight
1.0

A period of seven days

is an old-fashioned name not the common modern term
calendar week
vssennight
1 1.0

A period of seven days that usually runs from Monday to Sunday

is the old-fashioned label rather than a calendar defined period
hebdomad
vssennight
  • Archaic
9.9

A time of seven days like a week

is the older dated form rather than the plain modern term

Surface Forms

sennight singular
sennights plural

Morphology

sennight = seven + night (semi-transparent) = seven + night

Historically a clear compound 'seven' + 'night' meaning 'seven nights' (a week), but the contracted archaic form 'sennight' may not be immediately recognized by modern learners.

Etymology

The word sennight comes from old parts sen- and night, which mean 'seven' and 'night', so it literally means 'seven nights' and was used to mean a week, like fortnight means 'fourteen nights'.