dæg

Old English

Alternative forms

• deg, deag, dœg

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *dagaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”). Cognate with Old High German tac (German Tag), Old Norse dagr (Swedish dag), Old Frisian dei, Old Saxon and Old Dutch dag (Dutch dag), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (dags).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dæj/

Noun

dæġ m

1. day, (usually) as a period from sunrise to sunset and (scientifically) as a 24-hour period from sunrise to sunrise.
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year:

     Wē hātaþ ānne dæġ fram sunnan ūpgange oþ ǣfen, ac swā þēah is on bōcum ġeteald tō ānum dæġe fram þǣre sunnan ūpgange oþ þæt hēo eft becume þǣr hēo ǣr ūp stāg. On þām fæce sind ġetealda fēower and twentiġ tīda.

     We call one day from sunrise to sunset, but in books, one day is considered to last from when the sun rises to when it comes back to where it started from. In that interval there are considered to be 24 hours.

   Ælfwine slēp ealne dæġ.

   Alfwin slept all day.

   Iċ wille þæt mæġden sume dæġe eft ġesēon.

   I want to see that girl again some day.

   Menn sweltaþ ǣlċe dæġe.

   People die every day.

2. the runic character ᛞ (/d/)

Declension

Declension of dæg (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	dæġ	dagas
accusative	dæġ	dagas
genitive	dæġes	daga
dative	dæġe	dagum

Synonyms

• dōgor

Derived terms

• dæġfeorm
• dæġhwǣmlīċ
• dæġlīċ
• dæġes ēage
• īdæġes
• ġiestrandæġ

Descendants

• Middle English: day, dai, dæi, dey, daȝ, dæȝ, dei, daye, daȝȝ, daȝh, daiȝ, *dah
  • English: day
  • Scots: day