What Does the Term “Fortnight” Mean?

Last updated on September 8, 2024 by Isabella Claire

Most people are already familiar with the slang term “fortnight.” This is because of its popularity. However, if you are not a gamer, then this will be a term you are not familiar with. Here you will find the meaning of this term, the details of its origin, and some other meanings if there are any.

Fortnight Meaning and Origin

  • A “fortnight” is a period of two weeks, or 14 days.
  • The word “fortnight” is often a misspelling or typo of “Fortnite,” which is the name of a popular online multiplayer video game developed by Epic Games.

What Does Fortnight Mean?

A period of two weeks

A fortnight is a unit of time that originated in Old English, referring to a period of 14 days or fourteen nights. The term is a contraction of “fēowertēne niht” in Old English, and it evolved as “fourtenight” in Middle English. It is still commonly used in modern British English, particularly in the UK and other countries where the English language has strong historical ties, such as Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

In contemporary usage, the word “fortnight” is often associated with biweekly occurrences, such as meetings, pay periods, or vacations. For example, someone might say, “I receive my salary every fortnight,” or “I’m taking a fortnight’s holiday.”

Fortnite

Fortnite is a popular online multiplayer video game developed by Epic Games. The game’s name is derived from the term “fortnight”, which refers to a period of fourteen nights or two weeks. In the context of the game, players build forts and structures as a form of defense, and collaborate with others to survive against waves of enemies. Thus, the name Fortnite combines the concept of fort-building with the time-related term “fortnight”.

Fortnight Meaning

Origin of Fortnight

This game was released on July 21, 2017, on all platforms including PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, iOS, all Windows operating systems, and Mac systems as well. It is a game that is played online with a bunch of other players It is a shooter survival game that was produced by the gaming company Epic games.

Other Meanings of Fortnight

While the primary meaning of “fortnight” is firmly established as a unit of time, there have been other usages and related terms throughout history. Some examples include:

  • Sennight: Refers to a period of seven days or one week, sharing a similar etymological origin with “fortnight.” Sennight is derived from the Old English word “seofon,” meaning “seven,” and “niht,” meaning “night.”
  • Biweekly: In modern usage, “biweekly” can also mean once every two weeks. However, this term can be ambiguous, as it may also refer to an event occurring twice a week.
  • Fortnightly: An adjective or adverb used to describe something that occurs or recurs every fortnight or is released once every two weeks.
  • Multiple languages have unique words for a period of two weeks, such as German (zweiwochen), Welsh (pythefnos), Irish (coicís), and Greek (δεκαπενθήμερο).

Fortnight Examples

Fortnight in Conversations, Texting, and Social Posts

In casual conversations, people might use the term to discuss their upcoming plans or events that occurred in the past. For example:

  • “I’m going on vacation for a fortnight to visit my family in Europe.”
  • “She started her new job a fortnight ago and is already adapting quite well.”

In the context of texting or instant messaging, the term can also be used to make plans with friends or discuss recent events. Some examples include:

  • “Hey, are you free for dinner in a fortnight? We haven’t caught up in a while!”
  • “I can’t believe it’s been a fortnight since we last hung out.”

On social media, users may utilize the term “fortnight” to update their followers about their personal lives or share experiences from the past two weeks. Examples of social media posts involving the use of the term “fortnight” could be:

  • “Just finished a fortnight of intense training for my upcoming marathon! Feeling stronger than ever ????”
  • “Throwback to the amazing fortnight we had exploring the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand ????”

Conversation Examples

A conversation between two friends via text message.

  • Friend 1: What are you up to?
  • Friend 2: Just finishing up my homework? WBU?
  • Friend 1: Nothing. I was wondering if you wanted to play some Fortnight?
  • Friend 2: You mean Fortnite? LOL! Sure! Let me finish up this last problem and I will get right on.
  • Friend 1: Okay, I will see you when you get online then.

An online conversation between two gamers on a forum.

  • User 1: Am I the only one who thinks the game Fortnight sucks?
  • User 2: I think you mean Fortnite. While you are probably not the only one, you are one of very few. The game is quite popular and well-liked.
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