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someday

Etymology and origin of the English word someday

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1768

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsʌmdeɪ/[1]

Etymology

It is from some and day,[2][3][4] originally written some day.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

At some indefinite future time: as one word 1768 in Etymonline,[2] not recorded before the late 19th century in the SOED, 1898 in the OED.[4][5] Written apart, some day, it is from the late 14th century.[2]

Semantic evolution

Old English sum dæge meant on a day in the past.[2] Merriam-Webster dates Middle English sum day to the 14th century.[3] An 1816 verse in The Port Folio made a joke of Miss Someday.[2]

Timeline

  • late 14th century – some day.[2]
  • 1768 – someday.[2]
  • 1898 – in the OED.[5]

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. At some unspecified time in the future.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Someday.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/someday. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·