morning - morn; evening - eventide; afternoon - ? (2024)

Hello,

During one of today's lessons, one of my students delivered a presentation on how to say goodbye in English. In the presentation he included a song the name of which I cannot recall right now. What was interesting about it was that the singer uses the word morn. Following my insatiable curiosity, I turn to you, dear native speakers with the following question: is there a similar 'shorter version' of afternoon?

Thank you!

audiolaik said:

is there a similar 'shorter version' of afternoon?

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None that I can think of! I've heard "in the p.m." but it sounds a little cutesy/contrived to me.

"Morn" is common in poetry but not in general language, although occasionally you might hear an expression like "It's a beautiful morn."

"Eventide" is very poetic/formal. I wouldn't recommend using it in normal verbal or written communication. "E'en" for "evening" is used in poetry and perhaps still in parts of Scotland (?).

Ron

ron1759 said:

None that I can think of! I've heard "in the p.m." but it sounds a little cutesy/contrived to me.

"Morn" is common in poetry but not in general language, although occasionally you might hear an expression like "It's a beautiful morn."

"Eventide" is very poetic/formal. I wouldn't recommend using it in normal verbal or written communication. "E'en" for "evening" is used in poetry and perhaps still in parts of Scotland (?).

Ron

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Thank you!

psychospice said:

In England we use "arvo" as an abbreviation of "afternoon", especially in e-mails/text messages etc.

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Arvo stands for afternoon? A-R-V-O?

psychospice said:

In England we use "arvo" as an abbreviation of "afternoon", especially in e-mails/text messages etc. This is very informal though, and not commonly recognised, but I've heard it said quite frequently

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That's a new one to me! Very interesting!

This question had me racking my brain. The only synonym I can come up with is "late-day" and it's not a very good one. I don't think it's completely synonymous. Doing something at one in the afternoon would not be be "late-day", in my opinion. I suppose "late-day" and "late-afternoon" are closer to each other.

This is a very interesting question. It's one of those unquestioned things when it's your native language.

audiolaik said:

Hello,

During one of today's lessons, one of my students delivered a presentation on how to say goodbye in English. In the presentation he included a song the name of which I cannot recall right now. What was interesting about it was that the singer uses the word morn. Following my insatiable curiosity, I turn to you, dear native speakers with the following question: is there a similar 'shorter version' of afternoon?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

No, at least not in American English that I know of.

psychospice said:

In England we use "arvo" as an abbreviation of "afternoon", especially in e-mails/text messages etc. This is very informal though, and not commonly recognised, but I've heard it said quite frequently

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Interesting - I thought "arvo" was Australian.

I'm behind the times again, I see

Loob said:

Interesting - I thought "arvo" was Australian.

I'm behind the times again, I see

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Me too, Loobs (twice over).
Where I am I've heard and said after as the abbreviated version of afternoon all my life:
Let's go down town this after for a few bevvies.
Also: aft, even more informally than after.
EDIT: Audio, I don't suppose I need to tell you that these are pronounced /'æftə/ and /'æft/ whereas arvo is pronounced /'ɑ:vəʊ/.
MORE EDIT: The OED doesn't give aft = afternoon, but does say this for after:
colloq. abbrev. of AFTERNOON.

Thomas Tompion said:

See Also

Using 'In', 'On', or 'At' with 'Morning', 'Afternoon', 'Evening' and 'Night' | Mastering Grammar

It's a very unromantic and unpoetic time the afternoon, which is why there isn't a poetic name for it, I suspect.

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Well, there's that wonderful phrase (and book) by Douglas Adams:

"The long, dark teatime of the soul."

JamesM said:

Well, there's that wonderful phrase (and book) by Douglas Adams:

"The long, dark teatime of the soul."

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Also, I seem to remember Tennyson's Lotus-land was a place where it was always afternoon, but they must have been too busy eating lotuses to bother with tea.

ewie said:

Me too, Loobs (twice over).
Where I am I've heard and said after as the abbreviated version of afternoon all my life:
Let's go down town this after for a few bevvies.
Also: aft, even more informally than after.
EDIT: Audio, I don't suppose I need to tell you that these are pronounced /'æftə/ and /'æft/ whereas arvo is pronounced /'ɑ:vəʊ/.
MORE EDIT: The OED doesn't give aft = afternoon, but does say this for after:
colloq. abbrev. of AFTERNOON.

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Ah yes, the kids around Boston (Massachusetts, U.S.A.) used to say "this afta" or "th'safta" for "this afternoon." I'm not sure if they still do. I only heard this shortened form following "this" and it would be considered slang that was primarily used by the working class.

audiolaik, you may also be interested in "forenoon," meaning "morning"--usually the latter part of the morning in my experience. It's not common in speech but everyone knows what it means.

Then there's "gloaming" for "evening" or "twilight." It's not used in the U.S. now but long ago (the 1930s?) there was a popular song called "Roamin' in the Gloamin'." It's another word that may still be used in Scotland.

Ron

audiolaik said:

Hello,

During one of today's lessons, one of my students delivered a presentation on how to say goodbye in English. In the presentation he included a song the name of which I cannot recall right now. What was interesting about it was that the singer uses the word morn. Following my insatiable curiosity, I turn to you, dear native speakers with the following question: is there a similar 'shorter version' of afternoon?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

Uhm... the only thing that comes to mind for a shorter version of afternoon is noon... Eventide is probably an archaic (old) word, seeing as how people do not use that word much nowadays. Evening is more common. The same goes for morning. People rarely use the word morn, unless they are attempting to be poetic or something.

Forero said:

Afternoon: Shade (of the day), cool (of the day), dusk, eve.
Morning: morn, morrow.

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Forero, would you use "shade of the day" or "cool of the day" for 2 p.m.? As far as I know, the cool of the day is dusk, not afternoon.

JamesM said:

Forero, would you use "shade of the day" or "cool of the day" for 2 p.m.? As far as I know, the cool of the day is dusk, not afternoon.

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Not for 2 p.m., but maybe, in a poetic or archaic context, for 4 p.m., late, but before sunset/dusk.

"Afternoon" did not have its own name in Old English, and "noon" (spelling none in O.E.) was originally around 3 p.m. (the ninth hour).

We have two towns in Arkansas with the name "Evening Shade". It sounds like an oxymoron, but I am told it makes sense as an archaism.

I suspect the original question does not have a real answer, but in the right context, one might make do with what I suggested.

Although I know arvo as being Australian, it has a definite Liverpudlian sound to it, and I would be surprised to find out that it occurs independently in Lancashire.

"This after" was ubiquitous when I was at school in Yorkshire, and I can't imagine "after" with out "this"; in other words a phrase like "What are you doing on Saturday after?" does not sound idiomatic.