usage of words to describe a day

Question

Hello, its about 6 am, and woke with a puzzling question, which opened up even more questions. I do not know if this is the place for this type of question, but I will ask anyways. A day has 24 hours in it. So when someone says today or tonight, which hour time frame is today and which hours are tonight. Along with this thought, if the a.m. starts at 12:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 a.m. when does the morning start and end, when does the afternoon start and end, when does the evening start and end, and when does the night start and end.  And if its correct to say today or tonight, why can't we say (tomorning, or toevening), and if its correct to say afternoon or this afternoon, why cant we say aftermoring or this aftermoring, and the same applies to evening and night. Another question, if its correct to say good morning, good afternoon good evening as a greeting, why don't we say good night as a greeting. Since we use good night as we depart from someone, why don't we say good moring, good afternoon, or good evening when we depart from someone.  If someone could please figure this out. It may be a pretty simple answer, as I said its 6 a.m. and I may not be thinking deeply or clearly. Please do not chalk it up to semantics or just not proper english. I feel my questions do have a good answers, it just may need someone who has an extensive understanding of the place or time of orgin of the word or phrase.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Let me offer you a few brief comments, although other people may offer you better ones.

Hello, its about 6 am, and woke with a puzzling question, which opened up even more questions. It's often better to just go back to sleep when this happens.

I do not know if this is the place for this type of question, Sure, why not? but I will ask anyways.

A day has 24 hours in it. So when someone says today or tonight, which hour time frame is today and which hours are tonight.
As I'm sure you realize, these terms are surprisingly indefinite. Equally surprising is the fact that English speakers rarely encounter difficulties when using these terms.
If you search the Forum, you'll find a number of discussions on this general topic. Generally speaking, 'today' most often means 'from when I last woke up to when I next go to sleep'. 'Tonight' is harder to define. Factors relating to when it starts usually include when it gets dark, and when the evening meal is eaten, but it's also quite subjective. 'Tonight' often is considered to end when we go to sleep.

Along with this thought, if the a.m. starts at 12:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 a.m. when does the morning start and end, when does the afternoon start and end, when does the evening start and end, and when does the night start and end. I hesitate to get into a discussion of these queries. Most people can't even agree on whether 12 am means midnight or noon.

Search the Forum and you'll find some excellent discussions about 'time'.

And if its correct to say today or tonight, why can't we say (tomorning, or toevening), and if its correct to say afternoon or this afternoon, why cant we say aftermoring or this aftermoring, and the same applies to evening and night. As a non-etymologist, I'd just say that such terms are not idiomatic.

Another question, if its correct to say good morning, good afternoon good evening as a greeting, why don't we say good night as a greeting. Not idiomatic. Perhaps a factor is that we associate the night very strongly with leaving (most) people and going to sleep.

Since we use good night as we depart from someone, why don't we say good moring, good afternoon, or good evening when we depart from someone. 'Good morning' and 'good afternoon' used to be used in Britain when departing, and may perhaps even still be used.

If someone could please figure this out. It may be a pretty simple answer, as I said its 6 a.m. and I may not be thinking deeply or clearly. Please do not chalk it up to semantics or just not proper english. I feel my questions do have a good answers, it just may need someone who has an extensive understanding of the place or time of orgin of the word or phrase.

In conclusion, I wonder if other languages have a more defined approach to these kinds of terms. Or is this a universal "problem"? What do you think?

Best wishes, Clive

usage of words to describe a day

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