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Evening is the period of a day from the end of the afternoon to the beginning of night.[1][2] The exact times when evening begins and ends depend on location, time of year, and culture, but it is generally regarded as beginning when the sun is low in the sky and lasting until the end of twilight.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Old English ǣfnung, meaning 'the coming of evening, sunset, time around sunset', which originated from 'æfnian' meaning 'become evening, grow toward evening'. The Old English, 'æfnian' originated from 'æfen' (eve), which meant 'the time between sunset and darkness', and was synonymous with even (Old English æfen) which meant the end of the day. The use of evening dates from the mid 15th century.[3]
Cultural significance
Some languages that use the time of day in greeting have a special greeting for the evening, such as the English "good evening".
Typically people do not leave somebody and say "good evening". Even if it isn't night yet when one greets someone, they can greet them with "good evening" and when they leave, they say "good night", rather than saying "good evening" as a farewell, despite that it may still be evening.
Many people greet someone with the shortened "evening" rather than "good evening". Social and family activities are often held during this time, such as supper or more formal social gatherings and entertainment, such as parties, in particular, dance parties.
References
- ^ "Definition of evening in English". Collins. Collins. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ^ "evening - Definition of evening in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English.
- ^ "even - Origin and meaning of even by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
External links
Quotations related to Evening at Wikiquote
Media related to Evening at Wikimedia Commons
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See also
- Crepuscular – animals that are active primarily in the early morning and the evening
- Dusk
- Evening dress (disambiguation)
- Sunset
- Vespers