Forms: α. 1–2 Tiwesdæʓ, 3 Tiwesday, -dai, Tywesdaiȝ, 3–5 Tywesday, 4 Tues-, Tewisdai, 4–6 Twysday, 5 Tywys-, Tyvys-, Tewys-, Towes-, 5–6 Tewisday, 6 Tewes-, Tuis-, Twis-, Teyus-, Teudins-, Tewsday, 6–7 Twesdaie, 7 Twesday, 6– Tuesday. β. 3 Tisdæi, -dei, 4 Tisday; Sc. 4–6 Tȳsday, 5–9 Tyesday, 6–7 Tyisday, 8 Tiseday. [OE. Tíwesdaʓ; = OFris. tîes-, tîsdei, -di; OHG. zîestag, MHG. zîstag (Ger. dial. zîstig); ON. týsdagr, týrsdagr (Norw. tys-, tisdag, Sw. and early Da. tisdag, Da. tirsdag, ME. and Sc. tīesdæi, tȳsday); f. genitive of OE. Tíw = ON. Týr, OHG. Zîo, name of an ancient Teutonic deity, identified with the Roman Mars; whence Tíwesdæʓ, etc., rendering late L. dies Martis, It. Martedì, F. Mardi. Týr, Tíw:—OTeut. *Tíwaz was cognate with L. deus, Gr. genit. διός, OIr. dia, cf. Skr. dyāus.
Another form appears in MLG. dînstag, whence mod. Ger. Dienstag (Swab. zienstig, zeinstig), Du. Dinsdag, MDu. Ding(e)stag, dinse(n)dach, of which the first component appears to be ding, þing, ‘public assembly,’ but is thought to be Thinxus, a synonym of the name of the war-god preserved in a Latin inscription.]
The third day of the week.
c. 1050. Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia, VIII. 321. Tiwesdæʓes of martie.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1104. On þam Tiwæs dæʓe þær æfter.
c. 1205. Lay., 13936. Þene Sunne heo ȝiuen sonedæi, Monenen … monedæi, Tidea heo ȝeuen tisdæi [c. 1275 (l. 13924) tisdei].
c. 1290. Beket, 1147, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 139. An alle soulene dai, þene tywesdaiȝ [v.r. Tuesdai].
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 734. Of witsone owke þe twysday.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 101. Quhill the tysday in pask-owk.
c. 1450. Merlin, xiv. 205. It be-fill on a tewisday.
a. 1500. Bale’s Chron., in Six Town Chron. (1911), 143. Þis was upon a towesday.
1530. Palsgr., 178. Mardy, tuesday.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., II. Wks. 1846, I. 350. The nixt day … (whiche was Tyisday, the 13 of Junij).
1587. F. James, in Collect. (O.H.S.), I. 199. From Twesdaie till Satterdaie.
1607. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 729/1. Upon Tyisday befoir the feist of Pasche.
1691. J. Wilson, Belphegor, II. iv. I shall be married Tuesday next.
17[?]. Runaway Bride, in Herd, Coll. Sc. Poems (1776), II. 87. The bridal-day was set, On Tiseday for to be.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xviii. We must have a party…. Shall I say Tuesday fortnight?
1912. C. Murray, in The Odd Volume, 21. A towmond come Tyesday, the lassies been wad.
attrib. 1473. Warkw., Chron. (Camden), 21. Kynge Henry … was putt to dethe … on a tywesday nyght.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. ii. 40. A Purse of Gold most resolutely snatch’d on Monday night, and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday morning.
1622. Boys, Wks., 787. A Tuesday breakfast … a Fridayes drinking.
