Forms: α. 1 Wódnes dæʓ (dœʓ), dei, 3 Wodnesdei, 3–4 -day, (3 pl. -dawes), 3–5 Wodenes-, 4 Wodenis-, 5–6 Wodens-, Wodinsday. β. 3 Wednes-, Weodnes-, Wendesdei, 3–4 Wednesdai, 4 Wendes-, 4–5 Wedenis-, Wedenys-, Wedenes-, Wedonesday, -dai, 4–7 Wedins-, 5 Wyndenesse day, Sc. Wedynnisda, 5–6 Wed(d)ens-, Wed(d)yns-, Wednys-, 6 Weddynnis-, Wednis-, Wedns-, Sc. Veddynis-, 6–7 Weddins-, 3– Wednesday. γ. Wannesdai, 5 Wan(n)ys-, Wones-, Won(n)ysday; 5 Wenness-, W(h)enysday, Wenstay, 5–6 Wennysday, Wensdaie, 6 Wenes-, 4–7 Wensday(e. [OE. Wódnes dæʓ = OFris. wôns-, woenis-, wern(i)s-, wernes-, wers-, wer(ren)dei, wênsdei (mod. WFris. woansdei, wansdei, wensdei, wernsdei, NFris. winjsdei, wadensdei), MLG. Wôdenesdach, Gudensdag, MDu. Woensdach (mod.Du. -dag), ON. Óðensdagr (Sw., Da. Onsdag), ‘the day of (the god) Woden,’ a translation of late L. Mercurii dies, whence the name of the day in the Rom. langs. (F. Mercredi, Sp. Miercoles, It. Mercoledi). In High German the day appears always to have been called ‘mid-week’ (mod.G. Mittwoch), although for the other days (exc. Saturday) the translated Roman (planetary) names were adopted as in the other WGer. langs. and ON.
The name of Woden (OE. Wóden, OS. Wôden, OHG. Wuotan, ON. Óðenn:—OTeut. *Wōðono-z) is referred to the Teut. root *wōð-, found in OTeut. *wōðo- mad, furious (see WOOD a.), ON. óð-r (:—*wōðo-z) poetic frenzy, inspiration; cognate with L. vātēs, Irish fáith, prophet. The identification of Woden, the highest god of the Teutonic pantheon, with Mercury, appears already in Tacitus (‘Deorum maxime Mercurium colunt,’ Germ. ix); it was probably chiefly suggested by Woden’s character as the god of eloquence; another feature common to the German and the Roman deity is their swiftness and wide range of travel.
As representing the OE. Wódnes dæʓ, the β forms are anomalous. The same irregularity appears in some of the Frisian forms above quoted, and in the English place-names Wednesbury and Wednesfield, Staffordshire, and Wensley, Derbyshire (1086 Domesday Wodneslei, c. 1200 Wednesle). Some scholars have proposed to account for the change of vowel by the assumption that an unrecorded form *Wēden (:—Wōðino-z, with suffix-ablaut) existed in OE. and OFris. beside the form without umlaut; but the supposition involves some difficulties.
The uncontracted pronunciation, though not recognized in the dictionaries (Webster, 1911, gives it as ‘in British use, esp. in the north’), is not unfrequently heard from speakers belonging to the northern and north midland counties. The contracted pronunciation now prevailing goes back to the 15th c.; the earlier metathetic form wendesdei (c. 1275) is noteworthy.]
The fourth day of the week.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark Introd. p. 5. Feria .iiii. wodnes doeʓe.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. iii. (heading), On Wodnesdæʓ.
c. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1123 (Laud MS.). On an Wodnes dei.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2215. Þet wes on Wodnesdei [v.rr. Wednesdei, Weodnesdei] þet ha þus wende.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 70. Iðen Aduent, & iðe Umbridawes, wodnesdawes, & fridawes.
c. 1275. Lay., 13925. Tydea we ȝefue tisdei Woden we ȝefue wendesdei.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2432. In oure tonge ycluped in honour of him is wodnes day [v.rr. 14–15th c. Wednesday, Wodenesday, Wedonesday, Wensdaye].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 270 + 1. Luna Monenday Mars Tisday Mercurius Wednesday.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 154. In a signe of the Saterday that sette firste the kalendare, And al the witte of the Wednesday of the nexte wyke after.
c. 1385. Fordun, Chron. Gentis Scot., V. lii. (1871), 253. Quartam [feriam] suo nomini dedicantes, diem Woden vocabant, quæ consuetudo per Anglos etiam hodie servatur, vocant enim eundem diem Wodenisday.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet, xli. 29. Al þe wukis in þe summir, sal ye faste … þe wedenisdai and te fryday. Ibid., 1708. Wedinsday.
c. 1425. in Rep. MSS. Ld. Middleton (Hist. MSS. Comm.), 107. Other men or wymmen that have non peyse of their owen growyng, lett hem gedur hem twyse in the weke on Wennessday and on Friday.
a. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 40. Yche Wenysday and Fryday, he made hys confessour bete hym wyth a ȝarde apon þe backe al bare.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 3411. On a wedensday he fell seke.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg. (1911), 206. The wonysday Afore wytsonday.
1457. Paston Lett., I. 414. At Norwich hastly, the Wenstay in Ester weke.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 1280. Now thai him kep to martyr in London toun On Wednysday, befor King and commoun.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 1505. On þe weddysday, ower lord … made … fysche In flod.
1490. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 131. On Wedynnisda the xxiiij da of Marche.
1529. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), I. 324. To morow at nyght or wenesday by none at the Ferthest.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxviii. 235. On a wednysday they came to Parys.
1534. More, Treat. Passion, Wks. 1299/2. The day before his maundy, that is to wyt the wedynsday before hys passyon.
1536. Wriothesley, Chron. (Camden), I. 39. The 17th day of May, beinge Weddensday.
1537. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 59. At the Wodensday next after pentecost.
1544. in Rymer, Fœdera (1719), XV. 54. The thirtieth of July (beinge Wensdaye). Ibid. Wednsdaye (the sixth of August).
1544. in Sel. Cases Crt. Requests (Selden Soc.), 98. By the Wennysday in the Wytsonweke.
1552. Huloet, Wensdaye, mercurij dies.
1556. in Lodge, Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1791), I. 214. And upon Wedynsday … she … departed.
1558. in T. Wright, Q. Eliz. (1838), I. 4. Mr. Teylle wil be with you apon Wensdaye week.
1562–3. Act 5 Eliz., c. 5 § 11. Every Wednesdaye … which heretofore hathe not by the Lawes or Customes of this Realme bene used and observed as a Fishe Daye … shalbe hereafter observed and kepte as the Saterdays in every Weeke bee or ought to be.
1563. Winȝet, Bk. Quest., Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 126. The Kirk of God heirfor, obseruing … abstinence … on Wodinsday generalie in the orient Kirk.
1574. [? Whittingham], Brief Discours, 40. The next daie beinge wensdaie.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’s Parl., 456. On Sunday and Wednesday,… and on other dayes.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. iii. 64. I look’d vpon him a Wensday halfe an houre together.
1639. Sir T. Hope, Diary (Bannatyne Club), 100. On 3 July, Weddinsday, wes the tumult of women in Edinburgh.
1715. Gay, Trivia, II. 419. Wednesdays and Fridays you’ll observe from hence, Days, when our sires were doom’d to abstinence.
1808. Jamieson, Wensday, Wednesday.
1822. Downes, Lett. fr. Mecklenburg, 173. The evening of Wednesday was a gloomy one.
1905. ‘G. Thorne,’ Lost Cause, ii. Wait till you see my leader in Wednesday’s issue.
b. In names of certain days of the ecclesiastical calendar, as ASH-WEDNESDAY [= med.L. dies cinerum, Fr. jour or mercredi des cendres, It. dì delle ceneri, G. aschermittwoch, Du. aschdag, ON. ǫskudagr, ǫsku-óðensdagr, Da. askeonsdag, Sw. askonsdag], the first day of Lent, also called + PULVER-Wednesday [from the words ‘pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris,’ used in the service]. Also Good W., Holy W., Spy W. (Anglo-Irish: see SPY sb. 5), the Wednesday before Easter.
1297, 1387. [see ASH-WEDNESDAY].
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 82. Ȝe schull begyn your fast at Aske-Wanysday.
c. 1454. [see PULVER sb. b].
1471. Acta Auditorum (1839), 16/1. Onne gude Wednisday in passioun woulk.
1842. [see SPY sb. 5].
1845. Dublin Rev., June, 425. On Holy Wednesday at the words in the Passion, ‘et velum templi scissum est,’ it [the veil] is torn open in two parts.
1894. Northumb. Gloss., Good Wednesday.
c. attrib.
c. 138[?]. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 423. Bigynnynge first at þe Wednesdai gospel in þe firste woke of Advent bifore Cristemasse.
1650. in Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., Var. Coll. (1907), IV. 241. The defrayinge of the chardge for the Wensdaye lecture.
1672. Marvell, Rehearsal transpros’d, I. 246. You say that the Clause 50 Eliz. of the Wednesday-Fast has been the original of all the Puritan-Disorders.
1673. S’ too him Bayes, 100. To your long business about the Clause to the Wednesday Act, and its binding the Conscience or no, I answer, [etc.].
1819. Lady Morgan, Autobiog. (1859), 304. Several of my liberal Wednesday-evening guests have been made peers.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, liii. My Wednesday nights came regularly round.
1883. D. C. Murray, Hearts, vii. They’re going to play ‘my Dream of Venice’ at Hoffmann’s Wednesday Concerts.
Similarly † Wodnes-niȝt, Wednesday night.
c. 1000. Ecgb. Pœnit., II. § 21, in Thorpe, Laws, II. 190. Ǽfre Sunnan-nihte & Wodnes-nihte.
c. 1000. Wulfstan’s Hom., lviii. (1883), 305. Sunnannihtum … ne Wodnesnihtum.
c. 1297. Beket, 1125, in S. Eng. Leg., 138. His wei wodnes-niȝt out of þe toune he nam.
