A British Diary Is an American Calendar
A diary is a daily record, and in Britain also an appointment book. The two nations use the word for different objects.
A diary is a daily record of events, and in British English also a book for scheduling appointments. That second sense causes real confusion: a British manager who says "put it in my diary" means the calendar, not a personal journal, and an American hearing it may picture something private and confessional. The word is Latin *diarium*, a daily allowance, from *dies*, day — the same root as *journal*, which came through French.
- A daily record. *She kept a diary.*
- An appointment book (British). *It's in my diary.*
- Journal — the near-synonym. *A travel journal.*
- Diarist — one who keeps a diary. *The diarist Samuel Pepys.*
- Dairy — the commonly confused word. *A dairy farm.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | diary | A leather diary. |
| Plural | diaries | Old diaries. |
| Agent | diarist | A famous diarist. |
| Related | journal | A journal. |
| Latin | dies | Day. |
- He kept a diary for forty years.Record.
- I'll check my diary for Tuesday.British: calendar.
- Diarium meant a daily allowance.Etymology.
The dies family
- Diary — a daily record
- Journal — the same idea through French *jour*
- Diurnal — happening in the daytime
- Per diem — a daily allowance, the original sense
- Meridian — midday, from *medius dies*
Latin *diarium*, a daily allowance or record, from *dies*, day. English recorded it in the 1580s.
Does diary mean calendar in Britain?
It can. A British diary is often an appointment book, where Americans would say calendar or planner.
How do I avoid confusing diary and dairy?
A diary records a day, so day and diary keep the same first letters. Dairy has the i in the middle.