vrijedag

Vrijedag is a Dutch noun that historically denotes a day off from work or a holiday. In contemporary standard Dutch the term is uncommon; speakers more often use vrije dag, rustdag, vakantie, or feestdag depending on the context. The concept can refer to any day on which work is not required or to a designated holiday in calendars or religious traditions.

Etymology and form: the word derives from vrij, meaning free, and dag, meaning day. In older texts or regional usage, vrijedag often appears as a single form or in different spellings, reflecting historical conventions in Dutch orthography. Today, the preferred expression is typically vrije dag (two words) or other more specific terms such as feestdag.

Usage and context: vrijedag tends to occur in historical documents, religious or legal writings, or in dialects and older literature. In modern usage, it is largely supplanted by more specific terms that clarify the nature of the day off, such as a personal day off, a public holiday, or a vacation day. Because of its rarity, the term can appear in discussions of linguistic history or in translations that preserve older wording.

See also: vrije dag, rustdag, feestdag, vakantiedag.