Etymology of the Word “Day”
Hello! My name is Kimberly Reach and I am studying the History of English at UMGC. In this video, I will provide the linguistic history for the word, “day.” Day is an English word. The World Atlas of Language Structures Online says that the English language belongs to the Indo-European language family and is Germanic (Language English). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology tells us that the Old English word for day is dæġ (Hoad). According to the Oxford American Dictionary, daeg has a Germanic origin and is “related to the Dutch [word] dag and the German [word] tag,” both of which translate to the English word day (Day).
The Online Etymology Dictionary goes further back, to the Old English word “dg,” which meant a “period during which the sun is above the horizon” (Day). This word derived from the Proto-Germanic root *dages, which was not only the root for the Old English word for day but also the root for the Dutch word for day (Day). The Proto-Germanic root – and thus the English, Dutch, and German language words – derived from the Proto-Indo European root *agh (McKean).
Watkins states in The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots that *agh means “day,” which is “considered a span of time” (Watkins). He says this is the oldest form of the word day (Watkins). All sources state this word was always used to denote a length of time, either dividing time or referring specifically to daylight hours (Agh). During Anglo-Saxon times, the Online Etymology Dictionary tell us, the word day expanded its definition to mean one 24-hour period (Origin).
Interestingly, the Online Etymology Dictionary provides a timeline for how the usage of this word has continued to evolve semantically. Phrases such as “day-by-day” meaning “daily” and “all day” meaning “all the time” came into use in the 14th century (Origin). “One of these days,” meaning something that will happen in the near future, comes from the 15th century (Origin). The phrase “all in a day’s work,” from 1820, departs from a concept of time and means something that is routine (Origin). “Day off” meaning “a day away from work” comes from 1897 (Origin). “That’ll be the day,” which is a phrase that casts doubt on a claim, comes from 1941 (Origin). “Call it a day,” meaning to stop work, comes from 1919, but evolved from an 1838 phrase which was, “call it a half-day” (Origin). Finally, the phrase, “one of those days,” from 1936, references a day full of bad luck (Origin).
The Urban Dictionary, in a post dated October 13th, 2019, defines the slang term “days” to mean: “A gentlemanly, over enthusiastic vocalized expression of supreme delight, exhilaration and triumph when greeting and welcoming a close friend or loved one.” It claims this evolution of the word is “[a]dapted from post-cold war pop culture references to blissful, timeless rhythmic engagement in Easter* European Dance Halls, the term ‘Days’ personifies the intensity and joy of the moment in the presence of partners” such as a friend or love one (Disguise). Charitable Disguise, the author of this Urban Dictionary post, says the word is often used with “an indistinguishable European accent” (Disguise). The example provided of the usage of this word is a friend entering the room, “surprising and overwhelming you with joy, to which you exclaim, ‘Hey, Days!’” (Disguise).
To research this word, I utilized The Oxford American Dictionary, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, The World Atlas of Language Structures Online database, and, most frequently the Online Etymology Dictionary. As I researched this word and linguistic concepts, I utilized Google Scholar, Google Books, and the UMGC library. Finally, for a modern example of how the semantic usage of this word has evolved, I quoted the Urban Dictionary.
Thank you for watching my video and please view the below transcript to find my sources in MLA format.
*Note from the author: I am aware the Urban Dictionary quote says, “Easter European Dance Halls.” However, it is a direct quote and I left it as is because it was humorous.
Works Cited:
“*agh-: Origin and Meaning of Root.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/*agh-. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
“Day: Origin and Meaning.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/day. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
Disguise, Charitable. “Urban Dictionary: Days.” Urban Dictionary, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Days. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
WALS Online – Language English. https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_eng. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
Hoad, T. F. “Day.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.” Oxford University Press, 2003. www-oxfordreference-com.ezproxy.umuc.edu, http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192830982.001.0001/acref-9780192830982-e-3921.
“Language English.” WALS Online, https://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_eng. Accessed 1 Nov. 2019.
McKean, Erin. “The New Oxford American Dictionary.” 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, New York, 2005.
Watkins, Calvert. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000.