Wednesday
/ˈwɛnz.deɪ/noun
The fourth day of the week, following Tuesday.
Did you know?Its Old English form, Wōdnesdæg, honored Woden—an Anglo-Saxon god linked to wisdom, frenzy, poetry, and the dead, later matched to Roman Mercury in the weekday system.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*Wōdanaz
“A god associated with fury, inspiration, and poetic/ecstatic power”
Old English
OE
Wōdnesdæg
“Woden's day”
Late Old English / Middle English
English
Wednesdei
“The weekday named for Woden, with spelling and pronunciation shifting over time”
Modern English
English
Wednesday
“The fourth day of the week”