fortnight: [13] The ancient Germanic peoples recorded the passing of time in units of ‘nights’ rather than, as we do, in units of ‘days’: hence a period of two weeks was in Old English fēowertīene niht, or ‘fourteen nights’. By early Middle English times this was starting to be contracted to the single word fortnight. (The parallel sennight ‘week’ [15] – literally ‘seven nights’ – survived dialectally into the 20th century.) => fourteen
fortnight (n.)
"period of two weeks," 17c. contraction of Middle English fourteniht, from Old English feowertyne niht, literally "fourteen nights," preserving the ancient Germanic custom of reckoning by nights (mentioned by Tacitus in "Germania" xi). Related: Fortnightly.
中文解释
1、fourteen + nights.
实用例句
1. in a fortnight's time
在两周的时间内
来自《权威词典》
2. You need a break. Why not take a fortnight off from work?
你需要休息, 为什么不休假两周 呢 ?
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. I really feel in the pink after a fortnight's holiday.
