sevennight

See also: seven-night

English

Etymology

PIE word
*septḿ̥

PIE word
*nókʷts

From Middle English seven-night, sevenight, sevenyght [and other forms],^[1] from Late Old English seofeniht, seoueniht (compare seofonnihte (“seven days old; seven days long”, adjective)), from seofon (“seven”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ (“seven”)) + niht (“night; day (when computing spans of time)”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”)). Doublet of sennight.^[2]

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛvənˌnɑɪt/
Hyphenation: sev‧en‧night

Noun

sevennight (plural sevennights)

(archaic or obsolete)
1. A period of seven consecutive days and nights; a week.
  Synonyms: (archaic or obsolete) sennight, (Britain, dialectal) zennet
  - c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 23:
    [T]he bold Iago. / VVhoſe footing here anticipates our thoughts / A ſennights ſpeede.
  - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 132, column 1:
    VVearie Seu'nights, nine times nine, / Shall he dvvindle, peake, and pine: […]
  - 1720, Elfric [i.e., Ælfric of Abingdon], John Johnson, “A.D. DCCCCLVII. Elfric’s Canons.”, in A Collection of All the Ecclesiastical Laws, Canons, Answers, Or Rescripts, with Other Memorials Concerning the Government, Discipline, and Worship of the Church of England, […], 1st part, London: […] Robert Knaplock […], and Samuel Ballard […], →OCLC:
    The Holy Houſel ought to be kept vvith great Diligence and not be permitted to be ſtale, but another be alvvays hallovved anevv for Sick Men in about a Seven-night, or Fortnight, ſo as that it may not be muſty at leaſt.
2. (attributively) Preceded by a specified day such as Sunday, today, or yesterday: a week from the specified day.
  Synonym: (archaic or obsolete) sennight
  - 1549 April 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “Sermon X. Being the Sixth Sermon Preached before King Edward VI. April the Tvvelfth.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume I, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 175:
    VVhat doctrine is vvritten for us in the eighth chapter of the firſt book of Kings, I did partly ſhevv unto you, moſt honourable audience, this day ſeven-night, of that good man, father Samuel, that good Judge, hovv good a man he vvas, vvhat helpers and coadjutors he took unto him, to have his office vvell diſcharged.
    The spelling has been modernized.
(obsolete)
Synonym: (obsolete) sennight
1. Preceded by a specified day and come: a week after the specified day.
  - 1741, [Samuel Richardson], “[The Journal Continued.] Monday.”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 153:
    And Mrs. Jevvkes tells me, every one names Thurſday come Sev'nnight for our Nuptials.
2. Preceded by a specified day and gone or was: a week before the specified day.

Alternative forms

seven-night

Coordinate terms

fortnight

Translations

period of seven consecutive days and nights — see week

References

^ “sē̆ven-night, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
^ Compare “sennight, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2022; “sennight, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.