# "Wednesday" -- Why the funky spelling? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890 "2000-02-03T16:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/1 "2000-02-03T16:53:00Z")
OK, I know that Wednesday is from Woden’s Day (or Wodin’s Day). But how the heck did we get from “Woden’s Day” to “Wednesday”? I realize spelling wasn’t standardized back in the day, but _come on_! * * * “Every time you think, you weaken the nation!” --M. Howard (addressing his brother, C. Howard). ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/2 "2000-02-03T17:09:00Z")
I still remember getting into a fight with my third grade teacher, Mrs. Wolf, because I insisted that “Wednesday” and “February” were spelled wrong. I still say I’m right, and it looks like I’m not alone—take THAT, Mrs. Wolf! ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/3 "2000-02-03T17:19:00Z")
Because it’s derived from the Old English word Wodnesdag, which means “Woden’s (Odin)day.” Must be a possessive form of the name Woden. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/4 "2000-02-03T17:24:00Z")
Back in them olden days, spelling wasn’t considered very important (even less so than today.) Hence, something that might have been spelled Wodn in one language might easily have got heard as Wodin in another. Happens all the time, even today, frinstance, when I hear someone’s name and try to spell it phonetically as if it were English… ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/5 "2000-02-03T17:31:00Z")
The correct (unfunky) spelling is “Wendsday”. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/6 "2000-02-03T17:43:00Z")
Good point on February, too, **Eve**. So…anybody…what’s the story on February? * * * “Every time you think, you weaken the nation!” --M. Howard (addressing his brother, C. Howard). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/7 "2000-02-03T17:52:00Z")
The answer most likely lies with the evolutionary nature of language. Usually the question of spelling vs. pronunciation is answered simply: Words are spelled the way they were pronounced _when their spelling was fixed_. Often this was when the word first entered the language, but for older words it had to wait until it was written down. Wednesday was probably originally pronounced “Wodensday”. There also may have been a problem with the French scribes who tried to write down Old English; a lot of changes are their errors (or their attempts to turn the sound of English into something they could comprehend; by their lights, the “ough” ending is a perfectly logical way to spell the sound it represents). Sometimes the pronunciation changed to match the spelling; other times, not. ## Thus, someone may have misspelled “Wodensday” as “Wednesday.” Since prounciation is influenced by spelling errors (see “often” and “comfortable”), people started trying to say “Wed-nes-day” and eventually gave up and slurred the word together. “East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx Read “Sundials” in the new issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/8 "2000-02-03T17:57:00Z")
Well it was actually because Nes couldn’t find a hubby. She decided she would have to market herself better. Now most of the markets had allready mapped out their sale days but there was a day left between Twosday (buy one get one free) and Fursday (all furs furty percent off). She thus came up with Wed-Nes-Day. Unfortunatly Nes wasn’t much of a catch, so no matter how much she took off she couldn’t sell the merchandise. Eventually after several decades of weekly tries at Wed-Nes-Day she gave up. By then though the name had stuck. ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/9 "2000-02-04T06:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Keeves: > **The correct (unfunky) spelling is “Wendsday”.** Unless you live in the Hundred Acre Woods and then it’s “Windsday” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/10 "2000-02-04T06:56:00Z")
Old English “Wodnes Dœg” This isn’t too hard to figure out going from wodnes dag to wednes dag to wednes day. Simple, n’est-ce pas? See, e.g. New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/11 "2000-02-03T19:39:00Z")
Eve? On a personal note, I’d just like to say that I find it exhiliarating that you are finally able to put the agony of Mrs. Wolf behind you. You were a wee little Doper of 8 when you suffered at her hands…uh…firsthand. And, now look at you. The Queen of NY ! Why, Mrs. Wolf would hardly know you now !!! Cartooniverse * * * If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/12 "2000-02-03T20:59:00Z")
Oh, Cartoon, you have no idea what I suffered at her hands! I still have guilt pangs because I forgot to do a report on “lions.” And she actually called my parents in for a discussion, saying that I was “giving her dirty looks!” My mother thought she was nuts, but has since learned that where I give dirty looks, no grass grows, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/13 "2000-02-03T21:19:00Z")
Well? Still waiting for somebody to explain “February”. * * * “Every time you think, you weaken the nation!” --M. Howard (addressing his brother, C. Howard). ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/14 "2000-02-03T22:12:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by RealityChuck: > > There also may have been a problem with the French scribes who tried to write down Old English; a lot of changes are their errors (or their attempts to turn the sound of English into something they could comprehend; by their lights, the “ough” ending is a perfectly logical way to spell the sound it represents). Sometimes the pronunciation changed to match the spelling; other times, not. > \*\* Of course, it helps to add that the /gh/ sound was a sound similar to the /ch/ in “Bach”, “loch” or “Chaim” and later diverged into different sounds depending upon the word: e.g. laugh, daughter. But what’s wrong with February? I pronounce it the way it’s spelled, although some do say “Feb-you-ary”. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/15 "2000-02-03T22:53:00Z")
Hey, **I** don’t have a problem with the spelling of February. Take that up with **Eve**. 😉 I just want to know the origin of the word “February”, so we can figure out for ourselves whether the pronunciation needs some adjustment. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/16 "2000-02-03T23:19:00Z")
Thill – right you are. And I’d argue that “gh” is a better representation than “ch”. Etymology of February (From American Heritage Dictionary): Middle English “Feveryer” from the Old French “feverier”, from late late Latin “febrarius,” from Latin “februarius,” from “februa,” festival of purification held on February 15, possibly of Sabine origin. The preferred pronunciation is feb-roo-er-e, though feb-you-er-e is listed as an alternative. * * * “East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx Read “Sundials” in the new issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/17 "2000-02-04T17:00:00Z")
Uh, maybe it’s just me, but I pronounce February the way it’s spelled. Do I err? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/18 "2000-02-04T21:08:00Z")
That’s the preferred pronunciation, though the other is also used. * * * “East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx Read “Sundials” in the new issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/19 "2000-02-04T22:26:00Z")
“_ **New-cyu-lur** _ sweetie, its pronounced _ **new-cyu-lur** _.” —H. Simpson, to his misinformed daughter, Lisa. ---
**Author:** ![Momotaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Momotaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Momotaro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2000, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890/20 "2000-02-06T10:53:00Z")
It’s _When’s Day?_ as far as I’m concerned: a day when nothing of significance ever happens. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wednesday-why-the-funky-spelling/6890.md?page=2)