"To-day"

[fruit_boy]

I've been doing some clearing of "stuff" at my mother's house and came across an old guide to Coventry Zoo. I'm not sure of the exact date but it mentions that the zoo opened in 1966 and it is priced 1/- so it must date between 1966 and 1973

Comments

[crazyscot]

I don't know the history either, but a couple of the ageing admin staff at my school were writing "to-day" into the mid 1990s.

[sashajwolf]

I've seen it in 1950s and 1960s authors. I think some editions of C.S. Lewis have it, for instance.

[buboniclou]

I've seen it plenty of times, but pretty much only in British English.

[frecklestars]

I believe it was also used in "A Little Princess". I've seen it before, quite a bit actually, and prefer the spelling, but that's probably because I'm in love with historical novels. :)

[rochvelleth]

I've seen it a bit before but don't know about its history.

However, the Online Etymology Dictionary says:

O.E. todæge, to dæge "on (the) day," from to "at, on" (see to) + dæge, dative of dæg "day." Generally written as two words until 16c., after which it usually was written to-day until early 20c.

On a side note, did you mean the book had to be between 1966 and 1971 (when decimalisation was introduced)? Or was 1973 a terminus for a different reason? Just curious :)

[fruit_boy]

Yes - of course I meant 1971.....
It seems that the year of UK decimalisation is a fact that I learnt wrongly!!!