Wodensdag

Wodensdag is a historical term found in Dutch-language sources to denote the weekday that is today called Wednesday. The name is formed from the Germanic god Wōden (Odin) and the word for day, dæg or dag, reflecting the common pattern of days named for Norse and Germanic deities. In medieval Dutch texts the form Wodensdag or Wodensdag is attested, literally meaning “Woden’s day.”

Etymology and linguistic background

The element Woden refers to the god Wōden (Odin) in Old English, Old Norse, and related Germanic traditions. The second element, dag or dæg, means “day.” Combine them and you obtain a direct cognate of the English Woden's day, which became Wednesday in English. In Dutch, the compound gradually evolved, with Wodensdag giving way to the shorter modern form wo da ndag, wo(d)ensdag, and eventually to vandaag’s standard spelling woens dag.

Historical usage and evolution

Wodensdag appears in Middle Dutch sources as part of the broader Germanic pattern of weekday names. Over time, the Dutch language simplified the form, mirroring shifts in spelling and pronunciation that produced the contemporary word wo n dags. The modern Dutch term wo n dags is now entirely standard, while Wodensdag survives mainly in academic discussion of etymology or in historical texts.

See also

- Wednesday (in English)

- Odin/Wōden

- Old Dutch and Middle Dutch language

- Germanic etymology of weekday names

Note

In contemporary Dutch, the term Wodensdag is rarely used outside scholarly or historical contexts; the everyday word for the second day of the week remains woensdag.