Why do we say "fortnightly" to refer to a 15 day period??

Question

OK OK OK OK I GOT ITT I GOOOT ITTT IT 14 NIIIGHTS!!!!!!!

Answer 1

We don't. fortnightly refers to a 14 day period.

Answer 2

Max M got there before me - the French refer to two weeks as 'une quinzaine' (15 days), whereas in English speaking countries it's 14 days - hence the contraction 'fortnight' for 14 nights. In former days people would also say 'sennight' - 7 nights - for one week. I understand that the reason is a different way of counting the days - the French if starting from, say, Sunday, would include the next but one Sunday - making 15 days, whereas we English stop counting at the Saturday - so 14 nights. Vive la difference!

Answer 3

In Spanish, there is also quincena, derived from quince = 15.

They are approximations, but the 15 days is normally more convenient when splitting a month in two.

Answer 4

We don't. It's 14 days or two weeks in other words. Fortnight is derived from fourteen nights.

Answer 5

Fortnight=fourteen nights=15 days. Not so very difficult.

Answer 6

We don't. At least I don't, and nor does anybody else I know.
I use it to refer to a 14 day period.
After all, the word is a contraction of "fourteen nights".

Answer 7

I always thought that fortnightly referred to a 14 day [two week] period?

Answer 8

I think you must be French, Andre. A fortnight in French is referred to a "quinzaine" or fifteen days. Why is this, when it is only fourteen?

Answer 9

I don't, I say "fortnightly" to refer to a fourteen day period.

Answer 10

No we don't it is 14. It is old english for fourteen nights