Tomorrow Contains the Old Word for Morning
Morrow means the following day. It is the same word as morning, and it hides inside tomorrow.
Morrow means the following day, and survives mainly in *tomorrow* and *good morrow*. It is the same word as *morning*: Old English *morgen* meant both morning and the next day. *Tomorrow* is simply *to morrow*, on the following morning, and it was written as two words for centuries before closing up.
- The following day. *On the morrow.*
- Morning (archaic). *Good morrow.*
- Tomorrow — the day after today. *See you tomorrow.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | morrow | The morrow. |
| Related | tomorrow | Until tomorrow. |
| Related | morning | Early morning. |
| Related | morn | A summer morn. |
| Related | tomorrow's | Tomorrow's meeting. |
How it is used in a sentence
- On the morrow they departed.Archaic or literary.
- Good morrow was a standard greeting.In Shakespeare's English.
- Tomorrow was once two words.To morrow.
Words that closed up
- tomorrow — from *to morrow*
- today — from *to dæg*
- tonight — from *to niht*
- always — from *all ways*
- Pattern — English compounds tend to lose their space over time
From Old English *morgen*, morning or the next day, related to German *Morgen*, which still means both.
Are morning and tomorrow related?
Yes. Both come from Old English *morgen*, which meant both morning and the following day.
Why does German *Morgen* mean both?
For the same reason English once did. The next morning and the next day were not separated in the older vocabulary.