Understanding the history of words can help us build meaning.
Today: adverb, 1: on or for this day 2: at the present time; noun, the present day, time or age
Today comes from the Old English word todæge or to dæge. It meant on or at the day. It was written as two words until the 16 century. After that it became a hyphenated word to-day until the early 20 century. This movement from two words to a hyphenated word to one word is common throughout our language development. When teaching this word to students it is important to emphasize it is one word referring to the present activities going on. It is also key to build upon their knowledge of this word in their native language to give context. In Spanish day is dia and today is hoy. These words carry similar sound or visual patterns to help students. It is also key to set a foundation for students that in the word day, the a sames its name (long vowel) and the y is silent.
Tomorrow: adverb, on the day after today; in the future, esp. the near future
noun, the day after today
Tomorrow comes from the Old English to morgenne, meaning on the morning. Tomorrow was first used in a more common form in Middle English to morewe begining in the late 13th century. It was written as two words and then hyphenated prior to becoming one word in the early 20th century. It was adapted to tomorrow. Teaching this word ties in nicely if taught with today and tonight. By breaking the word into two parts "to" and "morrow" students are able to make connections between the word and meaning. The suffix of to meaning "on the" can then be given a stronger context.
Tonight: adverb, on the present or approaching evening or night; noun, the evening or night of the present day
Tonight comes from Old English to niht. Its original meaning was tomorrow night, as the day's beginning was thought to be at sunset. "To" again meaning on or at. Niht came from Old English as well meaning the measure of a day. Days were seen as going from one sunset to another. It was originally written as two words, then hyphenated in Middle English. Also in Middle English it was common for the hard "H" to be substituted with the "gh" when it came before a "t." This accounts for our current spelling tonight. It was developed into one word in the early 20th century. Again this word fits in context to be taught with "today and tomorrow." It is also important to teach students the"igh" word pattern creates the long I sound. Examples night, fight, light. Visuals of night activities might also be helpful in building context.
Yesterday: adverb, on the day before today; noun, the day before today.
Yesterday originates from Old English from the word geostran dæg, meaning the other day. This word also shares a Germanic heritage gestern meaning yester. In Middle English yester was added to words to imply a time period prior than the present, example yesteryear or yesterweek. The word yesterday developed from this. When teaching this to students a visual of a calendar would help to give context to the past. Referencing the days of the week to show what yesterday was. Also taught within the context of today and tomorrow can help students grasp meaning. In the word it is important to note to students the long a in day and silent y.
Morning: noun, the period of time between midnight and noon, esp. from sunrise to noon; sunrise
Morning originates from Old English morgen meaning morning. It developed into morn in Middle English in the mid 13th century. During that time the suffix - ing was added modeled after evening. Morning oringinally referred to sunrise. Currently we use it to describe the time of day prior to 12 o'clock p.m. or noon. To teach this to students it is important to teach the suffix ing sound. Also visuals of things we do in the morning, sunrise photos and a clock would be helpful in giving students a context for the word.
The five words above are great to teach within a unit of study. They relate to each other giving context and meaning. Visuals could be shared for several of the words. These words have equivalents in any language and offer students a foundation for understanding.
Colleen-
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting to read about the history of the words that you chose to study. The adding of suffixes was especially interesting. I wonder if you feel that this type of word study would be useful with your fifth grade students? Since I teach K-2 I felt that it may be a bit over their heads but could see using this approach of study with older students, mainly those in middle and high school. I also liked your idea of combining the history of a word with visual support, great for ELLs and struggling readers in my opinion.