Jane Austin -- sennight, fish lottery

Question

0 I'm re-reading "Pride and Prejudice," and Mr. Collins arrives at the Bennets' on a Monday and announces that he will be staying " 'til the Saturday sennight following."  I would have thought "sennight" came from "seven nights," but obviously Monday to Saturday is either 5 or 12 nights.  (In fact, he stays 12 nights.)  So, what is the meaning of "sennight" and does anyone use it anymore?  02br00Also, if anyone is versed in  he vocabluary of early 19th century parlor games -- they spend an evening at their Aunt's "playing at lottery tickets," after which "Lydia talked incessantly of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won."  I know what a lottery is now, but does anyone know what it involved then, and what (metaphorical, I hope) sot of fish were being won and lost? 02br02br00Thanks fo any available native speakers of 19th centurey British English! 0-

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

0 Dear Khoff, 02br
00You were right about "sennight": 05000 02br
00It is seven nights. 02br
00I have no idea about the fish lottery... 0230hrefhttp://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-sen1.htm

Miche · Answer

0 Hi, Knoff, 02br
02br
00Sennight is actually derived from ( a) seven-night (period) but it means a week (or at least that's what my dictionary says). That's why I think that "'til the Saturday sennight following" means "'til the Saturday of the following week". Which makes exactly 12 nights in you case. 02br
02br
00I've no idea about the lottery and the fish.050010id6

MrPedantic · Answer

0 Hello Khoff! 02br
02br
00I think 'lottery tickets' was a card game, where you won if you held a particular card. I don't know the details though! 02br
02br
00'Fish' were gaming counters – from the French 'fiche'. 02br
02br
00Bye! 02br
00MrP 0-

Khoff · Answer

0 'Fish' were gaming counters – from the French 'fiche'. 02br
02br
00Aha! Thanks, everyone! 0-

Jane Austin -- sennight, fish lottery

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