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我们知道fortnight为两周的意思,可它的结尾明明有个night,为何整个词的含义却和night(夜晚)毫无关联呢?
在词典中查阅该词的来源有如下表述:

17 c. contraction of M.E. fourteniht, from O.E. feowertyne niht, lit. "fourteen nights," preserving the ancient Gmc. custom of reckoning by nights, mentioned by Tacitus in "Germania" xi.

现在,我们知道fortnight为中世纪英语fourteniht的缩写,来自于古英语feowertyne niht,字面意思就是"fourteen nights"

那问题来了,"fourteen nights"也是指14个晚上呀,那为何现在不表示和晚上(night)有关的意思呢?

preserving the ancient Gmc. custom of reckoning by nights, mentioned by Tacitus in "Germania" xi.

词典中继续阐述了它的由来,这种说法其实是保留了日耳曼语族用夜晚来计算天数的传统,所以这个词最终指的是天数:fortnight = fourteen night = 14天 = 两星期

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