one-week

The compound adjective 'one-week' is a transparent modern English formation. Its first element, 'one', derives from the Proto-Germanic 'ainaz', which has maintained a stable meaning of singularity. The second element, 'week', originates from the Proto-Germanic 'wikōn', likely related to the concept of a sequence or change. The logic of the compound is purely descriptive and arithmetic, directly combining the numeral with the standard unit of time to specify a duration precisely equal to seven consecutive days. This pattern is productive in English, creating clear, self-defining terms for measured periods.

Structure: one (numeral) + week (time period) - one: From Old English 'ān', meaning "one, single, alone". It functions as a numeral quantifier. - week: From Old English 'wice', 'wicu', meaning "a period of seven days". It functions as the core noun denoting the time unit.