fortnith

English

Alternative forms

• fortneth, fotneth, fotnith

Etymology

A collateral form of fortnight with the dialectal change of /xt/ to /θ/ (probably via an intermediate /θt/); compare Doric Scots dother (“daughter”), mith (“might”), and obsolete noth (“nothing”).

Note that drouth (“drought”) is not an example of this change; it instead retains the dental fricative of Old English drugaþ.

Pronunciation

• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˈfɔːtnɪθ/, /ˈfɒtnɪθ/

Noun

fortnith (plural fortniths)

1. (Northern England dialectal, obsolete) Alternative form of fortnight
   • 1631 January 2, John Hutchinson, The Will of John Hutchinson‎^[1], Knaresborough; republished in Wills & Administrations from the Knaresborough Court Rolls […] (Publications of the Surtees Society; 110), volume II, Durham: Andrews & Co., 1905, page 119:

     […] to Anne Mercer, my daughter, the some of xiiij li., according to an agrement between her husband and me, to be paid within one fortnith of the death of my wiffe.

   • a. 1731, William Storr, Book of Remarkes‎^[2], page 23; republished as “The Book of Remarks of William Storr, of Scalm Park, 1678-1731”, in W. Consitt Boulter, editor, The Yorkshire Archaeological and Topographical Journal, volume 7, London: The Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1882, page 53:

     […] & palmson fare which is kept the thursday before palme sunday all in the towne, & this fare setts all the fortnith fares for the year Round.

   • 1873, Richard Morris, Walter William Skeat, “Glossarial Index”, in Specimens of Early English‎^[3], volumes II: From Robert of Gloucester to Gower, A.D. 1298—A.D. 1393, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 490:

     To dark is still used in Swaledale (Yorkshire) in the sense of to lie hid, as, 'Te rattens [rats] mun ha bin darkin whel nu [till now]; we hannot heerd tem tis last fortnith'.