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today

Etymology and origin of the English word today

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
before 899 (Old English)
From
Old English tōdæġe via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /təˈdeɪ/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English to dai,[2] inherited from Old English tōdæġe (“on this day”),[3][4] from tō (“at, on”) and dæġe, the dative of dæġ (“day”),[2][4] that is, to and day.[5] It was usually written as two words until the 16th century and then as to-day until the early 20th.[6][3] Other Germanic languages have similar phrases, such as Dutch van daag and Danish i dag, while German heute continues a different phrase, Proto-Germanic *hiu tagu (“on this day”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

On this present day (Old English, before 899).[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The extended sense “nowadays, in these times” appeared about 1300.[3][7] Middle English also used to day in reckoning time: to day seven night meant “a week from today”.[3] The noun, “this day”, is first recorded in Coverdale's translation of the Bible (1535),[6][4] and “the present age” in the 19th century.[7][8] The colloquial adjective “modern, up to date” (the today generation) is dated 1908 by the HTOED, 1966 by Merriam-Webster and 1969 by the OED.[8][9][7]

Timeline

  • before 899 – Old English tō dæġe, on this day.[2]
  • c. 1200 – Middle English to dai.[2]
  • c. 1300 – nowadays, at the present time.[3][7]
  • 1535 – noun, this day (Coverdale).[6]
  • 1831 – noun, the present time or age.[8]
  • 1908 – adjective, modern.[8]

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. On or during this present day.
  2. At the present time; nowadays.

Noun

  1. This present day.
  2. The present period or age: the children of today.

Adjective

  1. (informal) Characteristic of the present time; modern.
  • tonight
  • tomorrow
  • yesterday
  • day

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b c d Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
  9. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Today.” Etymologically, 14 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/today. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·