Middle English Dictionary Entry
fourte-night n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fourte-night n. Also forte-, faurte-; (late) fourt-night, fort-, fourtnet; (early) fēowertēne niht, fourtēne ~, fourtenniȝt, furten- & (error) fouretennynght. |
| Etymology | From the early ME phrase. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A period of fourteen days, two weeks, a fortnight; (b) transl. L quindena.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)123 : Easter dei..nu bið to dei on fowertene niht.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2288 : WithInne þe furste fourtene-Niȝt.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)25675 : Nou his folle fourteniht þat he hire haueþ iholde.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2284 : With-inne a fourtenith, In al denemark ne was no knith..Þat he ne com biforn sire ubbe.
- c1330 Horn Child (Auch)61 : Wiþ in þat ich fourtenniȝt, Barouns fele & mani a kniȝt Al were þai redi boun.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2683 : Hire fader com bi þe fourteniȝtes hende.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4460 : He þenkþ hold a huge ryot..Wyþ-inne þis forteniȝt.
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)14/523 : In þat fouretennynght þat þe grett prophete dyed, þhan were þai ale deed.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.525 : Þe whiche fest..I-halwed was þe space of fourtenyȝt.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1327 : Ye speke nat with me..In fourtenyght.
- (1461) Paston (Gairdner)3.281 : It wyll be doo with in fowertenyut.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)281/27 : She toke suche sorow that she deyde within a fourtenyte.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)16 : The Romaynce yere contynythe..wekes lii, fortnyghtes xxvi..Fortnyghte cont[aineth] wekes ij.
- (1466-68) Acc.St.Andrew Hubbard in BMag.31401 : For makyng of ij endentures for Thomas, Clerke of white chapell paryssh..; item, payde to the saide Thomas for fourtenyghts service.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)175 : Fowrtnyght: Quindena.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)801 : Hec quindena: a fortenyte.
2.
In adverbial construction: for a period of two weeks, for a fortnight, by a fortnight; this ~, for the past two weeks, during the past fortnight [quot.: c1385, c1395]; within two weeks hereafter [quot.: c1450].
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28236 : Ah feowertene niht fulle þere læi þa uerde.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)425 : Þarebi heo liueden fourtene niȝt and hadden mete inouȝ.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2453 : On oure lord hi gonne crie ffourtene niȝt to sende ham his grace.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4236 : Al a fourten niȝt sike he lay.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)559 : Þe fest lasted fourteniȝt.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2681 : Sche preied par charite in pes to late hire lengþe fulle a fourteniȝt.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.929 : We haue been waytynge al this fourtenyght.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)289/33 : Þei preyede boþe a fourtenniht.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1783 : I saw yow noght this fourtenyght or moore.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.334 : Fro many a worthi knyght Hath his lady gon a fourtenyght.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2256 : This revel..Laste a fortenyght.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.51 : We myȝte noȝte this faurtenyȝte Owre riche londus dele and diȝte.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)161 : Now my day is passid fourtenyte ago.
3.
In cpds. and phrases: ~ court, a court of law meeting once in every fourteen days; Miȝhelmasse ~, the fourteenth day after Michaelmas; mone of ~, a full moon within the following fortnight; Sondai ~ after Estern, the second Sunday after Easter; this dai ~, the fourteenth day after today; todai ~, fourteen days ago.
Associated quotations
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)348 : Nim þenne mone of foirtennist, þe necste sunedai þer hefter paske rist.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)53/229 : Op-on Miȝhel-masse fourtene-nyȝht, his day fallez in þe ȝere.
- c1330 Pennyw.Wit(1) (Auch)273 : And ar þis day a fourtenniȝt þe siluer schal be wide ydiȝt.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.35 : On þe soneday fourtnythe after esterne.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) John Bapt.(Phys-E)44 : I to dai fourtenniht tald Hou sain Ion bodword broht.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)1025 : Ȝe may hyme see Or this daye fowrtene nyghte [Cmb: Or thys fourtenyght].
- (1468) Acc.Howard in RC 57514 : To brue hym lxxx pipes of beyr by this day fourthnyght.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)562/32 : Ye have remembraunce of your promyse..to do batayle this day fourtenyght.
- a1525(?1456) Cov.Leet Bk.294 : The seid fforfaiture to be levied & atteyned be accions of dette in þe fourtenyght Courte of þis Cite.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)641 : A ryche feste had he idyght That lastyd holy a fortenyght Wyth game, myrthe, and playe.
Note: Need date in sense 2.