tōniht
The English phrase 'tonight' is translated into Old English as tōniht.
The word is an adverb meaning 'during today's evening'.
Meaning: during today's evening (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of the preposition tō (meaning 'to' or 'for') and the noun niht (meaning 'night').
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, tōniht is indeclinable and does not change its form based on grammatical case.
Did you know?
- The letter 'h' in niht was originally pronounced as a rough, scraping sound in the back of the throat, similar to the 'ch' in the Scottish word 'loch'.
- The preposition tō in tōniht functions similarly to how it does in the surviving English word 'today', which comes from tōdæg.
- The word niht is a feminine noun in Old English, meaning that adjectives describing the night had to use feminine endings.
Examples in context
- tōniht we singað.Tonight we sing.
- Hē cumð tōniht.He comes tonight.
Example conversation
Mildryth and Osric are discussing their plans for the evening.
- MildrythHwǣr bist þū tōniht, Osric?Where will you be tonight, Osric?
- OsricIc wille tōniht hām gān.I want to go home tonight.
- MildrythGǣst þū tōniht tō þǣre healle?Are you going to the hall tonight?
- OsricNā, ic eom tōniht wērig.No, I am tired tonight.
