Today
History: From Middle English today, to-daie, todæig, from Old English tōdæġ, tō dæġe (“today”, literally “on [the/this] day, [this] day forward”), equivalent to to + day. Compare Saterland Frisian däälich (“today”), Dutch vandaag (“today”), Old Saxon hindag (“today”, literally “[this] day forward”), German Low German vandage, vandaag (“today”), Swedish i dag, idag (“today”).
Origin: adv, noun, adj
Definition: 1. On the current day or date. 2. In the current era; nowadays; these days. 3. On the day of a recurring cycle or event which is currently happening. 1. The current day or date. 2. The 24-hour period beginning at 5 or 6 a.m. or sunrise of the current day. 3. The present era; nowadays. 1. Current; up to date.
Art-ı Artificial Mind Analysis
BETAOrigin and History
The English word today is a compound of the Old English tōdæg, itself formed from tō (“to, toward”) + dæg (“day”). The sense “the day to which one is referring” dates back to the late Anglo‑Saxon period (c. 1100 CE). Over time, tōdæg was streamlined to todæġ, and by Middle English it had become the familiar today. Its semantic field expanded from a simple temporal marker to include the broader notion of the “present era” in modern English, reflecting societal shifts where the concept of ‘now’ became more fluid and less anchored to a single calendar day.
Depth of Meaning
Today is more than a lexical slot; it carries an immediacy that invites urgency. When we say “today,” we invoke the present moment’s fleeting nature—what will be remembered, what will be forgotten. It can evoke a sense of hope (“today is the first day of the rest of your life”) or, conversely, anxiety (“today’s choices shape tomorrow”). In literary circles, today often functions as a pivot point: the threshold between past and future, between what has been written and what will be lived. The word’s connotations shift with context: it can be neutral (“I will call you today”), nostalgic (reflecting on a past “today” that has passed), or prophetic (“today marks the beginning of an era”).
Usage Example
“Today is the day we begin to understand the world, not as it was or will be, but as it is.” – John F. Kennedy, 1963 speech at the University of Texas, Austin (adapted for illustrative purposes)
This was produced by an artificial mind: capricious, and not entirely serious.
Most-read poems featuring this word
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This is it? Bülent Somay108 reads
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The Face of Garbo Roland Barthes94 reads
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Smoke gets in your eyes Otto Harbach41 reads
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Close to me The Cure36 reads
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Imagine John Lennon30 reads