The word morning referred originally to the sunrise, but has been extended to mean the whole early part of the day, from dawn to noon. Often the start of morning is extended before dawn, this time is considered the small hours (wee small hours) of the morning, so it can come to mean midnight to midday (in cultures using the 12-hour clock, these hours are ante meridiem, A.M., a.m., or am). Morning precedes midday, afternoon, and night in a day.

Morning (from the Middle English word morwening) was formed on the analogy of evening, from "morn" (in Middle English morwen), and originally meant the coming of the sunrise, as evening meant the coming of the close of the day. The Middle English morwen dropped over time, and became morwe, and eventually morrow, which properly means "morning", but was soon used to refer to the day following the present (i.e., "tomorrow").

It is often referred to euphemistically to refer to dawning or birth, usually with optimism, in such phrases as on a new morning or in that bright morning, for example. The phrase wee hours of the morning refers to the time between midnight and dawn. Never glad confident morning again! is a line from The Lost Leader by Robert Browning, and is a phrase often used, particularly in politics, of a leading figure tarnished by events (most famously used by Nigel Birch MP about Harold Macmillan, then Prime Minister, in the 1963 post-Profumo debate). And President Ronald Reagan used the phrase "It's morning in America" in one of his more famous campaign commercials.

More on [ Morning ]

NPR Topics: Authors

Europe On The Cheap? Voila: A Grand Literary Tour
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:47:00 -0400
A dollar won't buy you much in Europe these days. But three books set on the continent offer a full immersion in "la dolce vita" — at minimal cost.
Lincoln's Strategy To Turn Rivals Into Allies
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:52:00 -0400
After he won the presidency, Abraham Lincoln brought three of his rivals for the Republican nomination into his cabinet. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals, recounts the life and work of our 16th president — and the principal characters of his administration.
The 'Religionization' Of The Oval Office
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:43:00 -0400
Scholar Randall Balmer explores the interplay between religion and American politics in his book, God in the White House. Balmer is a professor of religious history at Barnard College, and the editor-at-large for Christianity Today.
American Discontent Or 'Why We Hate Us'
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:13:00 -0400
In his new book Why We Hate Us, Dick Meyer argues that for the most part Americans are dissatisfied with their own society. But he offers a solution: "a return to some traditions that predate the '60s."
An Age Of American Self-Loathing
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:51:00 -0400
NPR's Dick Meyer contends that, despite living in a time of relative peace and prosperity, Americans are "morally and existentially tired." In his new book, Why We Hate Us, Meyer diagnoses the problem.
Michael Beschloss: Tales Of The LBJ Tapes
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:23:00 -0400
President's daily conversations shed light on the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, the progress of the civil rights bill and the escalation of the Vietnam War.

Subscribe to Authors RSS feed