Today Was Once Written as Two Words
Today means the present day. It was to-day for centuries before the hyphen was dropped.
Today means on or during the present day. It began as a prepositional phrase, Old English *to dæg*, meaning on this day, and spent centuries as *to-day* with a hyphen before settling into one word in the early twentieth century. *Tomorrow* and *tonight* followed exactly the same path. English lacks a single word for the day after tomorrow, unlike German *übermorgen* or Spanish *pasado mañana* — a gap speakers routinely notice.
- The present day. *See you today.*
- Tomorrow — the next day. *Tomorrow.*
- Tonight — this night. *Tonight.*
- Yesterday — a different formation. *Yesterday.*
- Old English — *to dæg*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | today | Today. |
| Noun | today | Today's news. |
| Old form | to-day | To-day. |
| Related | tomorrow | Tomorrow. |
| Related | tonight | Tonight. |
- It arrives today.Adverb.
- Today's paper carried the story.Noun.
- It was written to-day until recently.Spelling.
Day words English lacks
- The day after tomorrow — German *übermorgen*, Spanish *pasado mañana*
- The day before yesterday — German *vorgestern*
- Overmorrow — an English word that existed and died out
- Ereyesterday — likewise obsolete
- English now uses phrases where other languages keep single words
Old English *to dæg*, on this day, from *to*, at or on, plus *dæg*, day.
Was today ever hyphenated?
Yes. To-day was standard for centuries and the single word only became usual in the early twentieth century.
Is there an English word for the day after tomorrow?
Overmorrow existed but died out. Modern English uses a phrase where German has übermorgen.