Mittwoch German · revision 35022

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=calque, compound|attested=c. 1000, Notker|origins=la-ecc media hebdomas}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈmɪtvɔx/, [ˈmɪt.vɔχ], [-ʋɔχ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Mittwoch''' ''m'' (genitive Mittwochs or (rare) Mittwoches, plural Mittwoche)^(Wiktionary)

+ The word was originally feminine, and Central German writers of the 18th century such as Lessing still wrote ''die Mittwoche''.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) It became masculine after the other names of weekdays, at first with weak inflection (''an einem Mittwochen''), which lasted long in Upper German.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|mittewoche]], [[inh|goh|mittawehha]], a compound [[af|goh|mitti|wehha|t1=middle|t2=week]], that is “the middle of the week”.^(Kluge 2011|628)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|559) It translates [[der|la-ecc|media hebdomas|t=middle of the week]], itself modelled on Greek usage.^(Kluge 2011|628) Pfeifer cites [[grc|ἑβδομάς|tr=hebdomás|t=group of seven; week]].^(Pfeifer 1993) The modern words are [[Mitte]] and [[Woche]].^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ When the ancient names of the weekdays were taken over, the day of Mercury, or in its Germanic rendering the day of Wodan, was widely avoided in favour of this name, which was originally Jewish and Christian.^(Kluge 2011|628) The Duden sees in it the Church's wish to erase the memory of the pagan gods.^(Duden 7 2020|559) The older name lives on in [[nl|woensdag]], [[en|Wednesday]] and [[sv|onsdag]], “Wodan's (Odin's) day”, after [[la|Mercuriī diēs]], which gave [[fr|mercredi]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020|559) Its only German trace is the regional [[gmh|guotentac]], with ⟨g⟩ for ⟨w⟩ by dissimilation.^(Wiktionary) [[gml|middewēke]] is the Middle Low German equivalent.^(Kluge 2011|628)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''mittawehha'' is recorded around 1000, in Notker and in glosses, meaning “Wednesday”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|227) The phrase ''mittiu wecha'' renders Latin ''quarta sabbati'' “the fourth day of the week”.^(EWA|6, 516) Kluge dates the word to the 11th century.^(Kluge 2011|628)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Middle High German forms were many: ''mittewoche'', ''mitwoche'', ''mittache'', ''mittich'', ''mitke'' and others; the first record Köbler gives is in the ''Kaiserchronik'' of about 1150.^(Köbler MHD) The name first marked the middle day between Sunday and Saturday, and is now often understood as the middle of the working week.^(Wiktionary) The compound ''Aschermittwoch'' names the first day of Lent.^(Duden 7 2020|559)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1000 – Old High German ''mittawehha'' in Notker.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Schützeichel 2012|227)

+ * c. 1150 – Middle High German ''mittewoche'' in the ''Kaiserchronik''.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 1275 – The word appears in charters.^(Köbler MHD)

+ * 18th century – Lessing still uses the feminine ''die Mittwoche''.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|Wednesday]], the third day of the week counted from Monday.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Aschermittwoch]]

+ * [[mittwochs]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Mitte]]

+ * [[Woche]]

+ * [[en|midweek]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}