Forms: α. 1 Ðunresdæʓ, þunres dæi, þures-, þurres-, þursdæʓ, 2 ðursdai, (3 Thurday), 3–4 þures-, 4 (thrusdai), 4–7 Thursdaye, 5 Thurys-, 6 (thursdae), Thurss-, Thurse-; 3– Thursday. β. 3–4 þores-, 3–5 þ-, thoris-, Thorsday, 4 þorus-, Thoursday; Sc. 6. Thuirs-, 7 Thuris-. γ. Sc. 6 Furis-, 6–9 Fuirs-, 8 Fursday. [The α forms represent OE. Þunresdæʓ, ‘day of Thunor or Thor,’ perh. in some cases affected by ON. The β forms are mainly from ON. Þórsdagr, the long ó of which would give ME. ō and ou (ū), and mod.Sc. ui (ö). The γ Sc. forms show the interchange of th and f, referred to under TH (6). So Sw., Da. Tors-dag, MDu., Du. Donderdag, OHG. Donares-tac, MHG. Donrestac, Ger. Donnerstag, orig. rendering late L. dies Jovis, It. Giovedì, F. Jeudi. Cf. THUNDERDAY.]

1

  1.  The fifth day of the week.

2

  α, β.  [c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., II. 242. On ðam fiftan dæʓe ðe ʓe Ðunres hatað.

3

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 346. Gang on þunres æfen þonne sunne on retle sie.]

4

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., John v. 30. Ðys sceal on þurs-dæʓ on þære oðre lencten wucan. Ibid., vii. 40. rubric. Ðys god-spel sceal on þures dæʓ on þære fiftan wucan innen lenctene.

5

c. 1205.  Lay., 13929. Þa Þunre heo ȝiuen þunres dæi [c. 1275 þorisdai].

6

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 11210. Þe verste þorsdai in lente.

7

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 140. Þe þorsday [v.rr. thoresday, þorusday, þursday] byfore þere he made his maundee.

8

1426–7.  Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 65. Þe thorisday in þe Whitson weke.

9

1591.  H. Smith, Lord’s Supper, ii. (1611), 91. A schollers thursday, which he loves better then all the daies in the weeke, only because it is his play-day.

10

1637–50.  Row, Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.), 515. To come in to Aberdeen on Thurisday thereafter.

11

1774.  trans. Helvetius’ Child of Nat., I. 235. Thursday next, I shall send for the answer.

12

1899.  Mrs. H. Fraser, in Book Lover, April, 3/1. I think I was born under the star of long journeys, a ‘Thursday bairn that has far to go.’

13

  γ.  1566.  Sc. Acts Jas. V., 1540, 141 b. Sonday, monounday, and furisday.

14

1569.  Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 673. Upoun fuirsday nix to cum.

15

1596.  in Analecta Scotica, II. 13. Ther ansuer … suld haue bein giuen in the last Furisday.

16

1791.  A. Wilson, Laurel Disputed, Poet. Wks. (1846), 124. On this same Fursday night.

17

1861.  Ramsay, Remin., Ser. II. 99. Mrs. So-and-so’s funeral would be on Fuirsday.

18

1905.  [Still used in some parts of Scotland: see Wright, Eng. Dial. Gram., 648].

19

  2.  With defining words.

20

  Bounds Thursday, Ascension Day, on which parish boundaries are traced (see BEAT v.1 41). Carnival Thursday, Thursday before Quinquagesima (see note s.v. CARNIVAL 1). Great, also Great and Holy Thursday (in the Greek Church), Green Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday, Maundy Thursday. See also 3, and MAUNDY THURSDAY, SHEER THURSDAY.

21

1601–2.  in Archpriest Controv. (Camden), II. 41. They … arrived there upon madd thursday, otherwise called Carnivall thursday: wch is the thursday imediately before Shrove sonday.

22

  3.  Holy Thursday, a name that has been applied to various Thursdays.

23

  a.  Thursday in Rogation Week, Ascension Day. Also † Hallow Thursday.

24

[a. 901.  Laws Ælfred, c 5 § 5. Se ðe stalað on Sunnanniht, oððe on Gêhhol, oððe on Eastron, oððe on þone halʓan þunresdæʓ.]

25

c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 363/48. Men fastez … a-seint Marcus dai … And þreo dawes a-ȝein halewe-þoresday.

26

c. 1430.  Deuelis Perlament, 459, in Hymns Virg., 55. Oure lord,… In erþe he was … Til hooly þursday comen were Þat he stiȝ to heuene.

27

1489.  Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ii. 59. The feste of Penthecoste after the holy thursdaye.

28

1530.  Palsgr., 232/1. Holythursday, le jour de lassention.

29

1685.  in Verney Mem., 28 May (1899), IV. 348. The House [of Commons] sitts not this day being Holy Thursday.

30

1869.  Chambers’ Bk. Days, 5 May, I. 595/1. Our ... landlady at Matlock reminded us that on the following day, being Holy Thursday, or Ascension Day, there would take place the … ancient … custom of dressing the wells of Tissington with flowers.

31

1891.  [see b].

32

  b.  The Thursday immediately preceding Easter; Maundy Thursday, Sheer Thursday.

33

  In OE. and in Caxton prob. not a specific name; in 17th c. and later quots. after continental usage.

34

[c. 1000.  Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxiii B. 621. To þam halʓan þurres-dæʓe ær þam drihten-lican easter-dæʓe.

35

1483.  Caxton, G. de la Tour, cxxiii. Vpon the Holy Thursday in the Passion weke].

36

1645.  Evelyn, Diary, 11 April. On Holy Thursday the Pope said masse.

37

1867.  Lady Herbert, Cradle L., iii. 109. On Holy Thursday, the day of the institution of the Holy Eucharist.

38

1885.  Cath. Dict., 404/2. Mediæval writers connect the procession with the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday with our Lord’s joumey to the Mount of Olives after the Last Supper.

39

1891.  Ch. Q. Rev., Jan., 449, note. By Holy Thursday an Englishman has hitherto always understood one day in the year, that is, Ascension Day…. Some have nowadays … begun to use the term Holy Thursday as a name for the Thursday before Easter, which in old English is called Sherethursday or Maundy Thursday. This … is a mere borrowing from the Romance tongues, and is a cause of much confusion.

40

  † c.  The Thursday after Trinity Sunday: Corpus Christi day. Obs. (? error.)

41

1789.  Anburey, Trav. Amer. (1791), I. 184. Holy Thursday, which they term La Fête Dieu.

42