Jake Coombs

Fortnightly, the forgotten.

From the Cambridge Dictionary:

Fortnightly: (adjective, verb) happening every two weeks.

But it's as if it doesn't exist, or at least it seems that no one knows to use it. Everyone seems to have forgotten that fortnightly exists to describe every two weeks. Whenever someone describes something as 'biweekly', they always have to clarify whether it's twice a week or once every two week, and usually it's the latter. In fairness to them it has the following definition:

Biweekly: (adjective, adverb) happening or appearing every two weeks or twice a week.

But I think that the definition is wrong. No, not I think, I know. It is wrong. Why is it wrong? Because it doesn't clearly define the word, ironically it's a 'bi-definition', where there is two definitions for the word, further supporting my case, that biweekly should actually mean two for the week. I understand that the reason this problem exists is due to the historical divergence and subsequent convergence between American English and English English. However, language evolves, and I think we should evolve the language and rid of the confusion that is 'biweekly'.

With 'fortnightly', there is no second guessing what is meant (except in the rare case that a kid may mistake you for describing something is similar to 'Fortnite', but that's besides the point).

Thank you for hearing me out, I am sure you agree with my point, if you don't, you are just wrong I'm afraid. Now go spread the word my disciple, go evolve a language!