Why is 14 Days Called a Fortnight? The Gamer‘s Perspective

As an avid gamer and content creator, I‘m often asked why we use the odd term "fortnight" to refer to a 14 day or 2 week period. Many gamers recognize fortnight as the inspiration behind the hugely popular battle royale game Fortnite. But why is a biweekly period specifically called a fortnight in English?

Defining Our Key Term

To start, let‘s define exactly what a fortnight is:

A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days or two weeks.

So if your friend says "See you in a fortnight!" they mean they‘ll see you exactly 14 days from that moment. Easy enough so far.

Unpacking the Etymology of Fortnight

But why is it called a "fort-night" if we use solar days as our primary method of counting time?

That brings us to the fascinating linguistic history behind this word…

The term fortnight derives from the Old English fēowertīene niht, literally translating to "fourteen nights."

Back in Anglo-Saxon England, days were counted by the intervening nights in a continuous cycle. So a fortnight to an Anglo-Saxon would be the duration of "fourteen nights."

Over centuries of linguistic evolution, Old English fēowertīene niht eventually became Middle English fourtenight, then contracted to the modern English fortnight that we recognize.

So in summary:

Why "Fortnight" Over Other Terms

Given the archaic origins, you may wonder why we bother using "fortnight" at all nowadays. Why not just say 14 days?

Well, fortnight persists because it conveniently distinguishes biweekly periods from other time frames. Though we count days differently now, fortnight fills a useful linguistic gap as shorthand for "14 day block."

For instance, you might say:

• "I get paid every fortnight"
• "The tournament finals occur once a fortnight"
• "Let‘s take a fortnight holiday before the next game launch!"

In all those cases, using "fortnight" instantly conveys the exact 14 day periods referenced. Replacing it with "14 days" just doesn‘t sound quite as smooth.

So in short, fortnight emerged originally from the Anglo-Saxon method of counting "nights," but continues serving a practical purpose marking biweekly durations even now.

Comparing Fortnight Usage Across English-Speaking Countries

Another common question around fortnight is why Americans often don‘t use the term, compared to Brits and Aussies who use it frequently.

There are a few reasons for this discrepancy:

• Fortnight remains most prevalent in British English – As the descendants of Anglo-Saxons, Brits continue applying this relic linguistic artifact from their linguistic ancestry.
• Former British colonies also use fortnight regularly – Being linguistic offshoots of England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Kenya, and more inherited fortnight as the standard term for biweekly periods.
• Americans adopted alternate phrasing like "two weeks‘" – Over time, American English migrated away from fortnight in favor of more literal descriptors.

So in a nutshell:

• Brits and former British colonies maintained fortnight as part of their regular vocabulary
• Americans shifted to using unambiguous phrasing like "two weeks"

But certainly many Americans still understand the meaning of "fortnight" even if they don‘t use it habitually.

Fortnight By Region

To demonstrate the prevalence discrepancy, below are search frequency stats for "fortnight" by region:

As shown by search data, Britian tops usage, followed by former colonies. Meanwhile the US lags far behind.

So in general, fortnight persists mainly across Britain and the old British Commonwealth, while American English moved on from this relic timekeeping term.

Modern Relevance – Fortnite!

Despite waning everyday usage in American vocabulary, fortnight is far from obsolete even across the pond.

In fact, this "outdated" Saxon term maintains deep relevance in pop culture thanks to the wildly famous game Fortnite!

As a gamer, I‘m sure you immediately recognized Fortnite and its play on "fortnight." The megahit battle royale chose its name as a linguistic wink combining "fort" (base) and "fortnight" (2 weeks).

This clever name mixes the concepts of:

• Military fortifications
• A 2 week period
• NIGHT (when so much gaming occurs!)

What gamer hasn‘t had gaming marathons that last a fortnite…err, I mean fortnight straight! So Fortnite reflects this defining gamer experience.

Moreover, Fortnite itself has become a worldwide phenomenon, with over 350 million registered players as of 2022.

That means hundreds of millions of gamers have now been (re)introduced to the term fortnight through this smash hit title!

In fact, Google search interest in "fortnight" spiked dramatically with Fortnite‘s 2017 launch:

So Fortnite has sparked mass renewed interest in the etymological concept of a "fortnight", at least among gamers.

Thanks to gaming culture, fortnight now enjoys an unexpected staying power even in the 21st century social lexicon. Who says old terms can‘t make hip and phresh comebacks?!

Conclusion – Fortnight Forever!

In closing, a "fortnight" refers to a 14 day/2 week period due to the archaic Anglo-Saxon practice of counting "fourteen nights."

It remains widely used in British vocabulary, and has found renewed relevance with American gamers thanks to Fortnite‘s meteoric rise.

So whether you play Fortnite or not, all us gamers should embrace "fortnight" as one bit of history that connects English back to its ancient linguistic roots!

Game on for another fortnight friends, and remember to take breaks to eat, sleep…sometimes!