Annie Walton Doyle
People are shocked to learn there’s a word for the day after tomorrow.
It’s easy to take the words we use daily for granted, but occasionally we encounter a term that surprises us.
For example, there’s actually a word for the day after tomorrow.
This revelation has been met with astonishment, followed by a series of questions: Why haven’t I heard this before? Is this word real? And why did it fade into obscurity?
The news of this long-forgotten word has sparked an online conversation, with one person writing: “It always baffled me why English doesn’t use single words for the day after tomorrow and the day before yesterday.”
Another enthuses: “I like it! Let’s bring it back!”
“Words fall out of use for many reasons. Some have easier synonyms. Some become obscure or outdated as cultures change. And sometimes we don’t know why,” a third muses.
Someone else says: “Wow, I just learned something new today.”
“It’s certainly less of a mouthful,” comments a fifth. “I’m gonna start using that one and freaking people out!”
This phenomenon of learning something new about language, especially words that seem oddly specific, is not uncommon.
English, in particular, is known for its richness and willingness to absorb words from other languages. In fact, it’s composed of words from Latin, French, German, and Italian, among others.
With over 170,000 words currently in use, per the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s no wonder that some of them, particularly those less frequently used, may slip under the radar.
Consider the phrase ‘day after tomorrow,’ a concept that comes up fairly regularly.
Whether planning an event, scheduling a meeting, or making plans, it’s common to reference the day two days away.
There’s a single word that describes this very concept, yet it’s rarely used.
The term many are discovering is ‘overmorrow,’ which captures what we often describe in three words.
It’s a combination of the words ‘over’ and morrow’ and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, has become obsolete.
‘Overmorrow’ quickly fell out of common usage, but it did appear in the U.K. Parliament as late as 1925 when Sir W. Joynson-Hicks said: “We can go not overmorrow, but on Thursday.”
Although the term has fallen out of favor in English, other languages continue with their own equivalents.
In German, ‘übermorgen’ refers to the day after tomorrow, while French uses ‘surlendemain’ for the same concept.
So… the next time you’re planning something for two days from now, why not impress your friends by saying ‘overmorrow?’
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