to-morn, adv. and n. Now dial. or arch.
(təˈmɔːn)
Forms: α. 1 to morᵹ(en)ne, 1–2 to morᵹen (to morhᵹen), 3 to morȝen, 3–4 to morwen, 4 to morewen, 5 to morowen, to moroun. β. 4–5 tomorne, 4–6 to morne, 4– to-morn; 6, 9 tomorn, 9 dial. to moorn. γ. 1 to merne, to męrᵹen, 2 to marȝan, 3 to marȝen, marhen, mærȝen, marwen, marewene.
[f. to prep. 7 + OE. morᵹenne, dative of morᵹen, męrᵹen, morn, which see for ulterior etymology. The syncopated to morn appears first in northern dial., and is still the vernacular form in a great part of northern England. (In Sc. the morn: see morn 3 d.)
Beside tó morᵹ(en)ne, OE. had also on morᵹne (Beowulf 2484), on morne (Bæda's Hist. ii. vi) in the sense ‘on the morrow’.]
A. adv. = tomorrow adv. 1. Obs. in literary Eng. c 1500. Revived as poetical archaism c 1850.
| α c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xliv. 324 Ga, & cum to morᵹen [Hatton MS. to morᵹenne]. c 1000 To-morhᵹen [see quot. c 950 in γ]. c 1050 Byrhtferth's Handboc in Anglia VIII. 323 We nyton hwæðer we moton to morᵹen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 278 He to dai, ich to morwen. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 9081 To morewen schul þey boþe be schent. 13.. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 222 To morwen y mai beon wiþoute. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) iv. xxxviii. (1859) 63 Abydeth for to morowen. |
| β a 1300 Cursor M. 11248 (Cott.) Yee ga to morn wen it es dai To bethleem. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 124 Alss weill to-morn as ȝhisterday. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 437 Yet þou shalt be mached by mydday to morne. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 85 To-morne, on the morning, quhen thow sall on leip. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 58 b/1 To morn ye shal see y⊇ glorye of our lord. a 1547 Surrey æneid iv. 150 To morne as soon as Titan shall ascend. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., ‘I'll see thee to moorn’. 1856 Dobell Lyrics in War Time, Tommy's Dead, Stop the mill to-morn, boys. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. II. iii. 125 Bide thou with us to-morn. |
| γ c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xiii. 32 Hælo ic ðerh-doe..todæᵹ & tomerne [c 1000 Ags. Gosp. to-morhᵹen; c 1160 Hatton to-morᵹen]. c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxxviii. (Z.) 224 Cras, to merᵹen. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 21 To marȝan hit [bote] him is awane. c 1205 Lay. 16066 Heo cumeð to⁓mærȝen. Ibid. 23661 Þat scal beon tomarȝen. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 645 Sete, Iesu, swucche sahen i mi muð to marhen. |
b. In antithesis to to-day: see today 1 b.
c. Followed by to-morn day, to-morn eve (obs.), by to-morn morn, to-morn morning, to-morn night (dial.). Cf. Sc. the morn's mornin', the morn's nicht.
| c 1205 Lay. 17732 ær to marwen eue. a 1300 Cursor M. 15343 (Cott.) To-morn dai sal i be dempt On rode tre to hang. 1801 Anderson Cumberld. Ball. 18 To mworn⁓o'mworn, i' this seame pleace, We'll hae the stwory out. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., To Moorn't moorn, or To Moorn't moorning, to-morrow morning. Ibid., To Moorn't neight, to-morrow night. |
B. n. = tomorrow n. 1.
Truly substantival uses are late, but they were led up to by uses of the adv. in which it might be taken as n., e.g. when preceded by till, from; cf. till then, from now.
| c 1205 Lay. 26393 Nu to-morȝen is þe dæi. 13.. Cursor M. 3758 (Fairf.) In þe deu and gresse of thorne Sal be þi blessinge fra to-morne. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 621 Tharwith awysit be, Till to morn, that ȝe be set. c 1420 Avow. Arth. viii, I may haue my leuynge Her tille to-morne atte day. c 1440 York Myst. xxxvi. 276 To-morne is our dere sabott daye. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2873 To morne haly sonday is. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. II. iii. 161 Eager, bright-eyed, and careless of tomorn. |