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stranger
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stranger
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Hi all
I wonder if you could please help me out. I am looking for a word
that expresses the period that ranges from midnight until sunrise.
People have suggested "dawn" and "aurora", but I think these words mean the very moment of day break only.
Cheers,
Carlos
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I would call the period early morning (or pre-dawn) until daybreak or dawn.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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stranger
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stranger
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Hi; thanks for your input. I was actually looking for ONE word (as morning, afternoon ...) that would express this midnight-sunrise period. I am Brazilian, and we have a one-word for that in Portuguese, but I am not sure if there is one in English. Carlos
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hi, Carlos, welcome aboard. There's not one that I am aware of. What's the Portuguese word?
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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stranger
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stranger
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Hi again ... in Portuguese it would be "madrugada". Would you say I could "coin" the term "midnight-sunrise period" for a scientific publication? Later, Carlos
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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could be something to work with here: Wikipedia - Blue Hourwelcome, Carlos!
formerly known as etaoin...
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stranger
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stranger
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I guess you are meaning "twilight", right? But I am looking for a range that encompasses the hours from midnight until sunrise!Well, thanks for your input and your welcome words. Cheers, Carlos
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Carpal Tunnel
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Would you say I could "coin" the term "midnight-sunrise period" for a scientific publication?
If it's a science publication, I would go with that phrase. I looked up madrugada in the Portuguese Wikipedia.
Madrugada é o período do imediatamente anterior ao nascer do sol, sem horário pré-determinado.
It links to the English version's entry for dawn. Another dictionary I looked at, offered the English wee hours of the morning which is roughly what you want. For me, the wee hours of the morning includes not just the ttwilight of dawn but the dark hours before it.
Where's Anna when you need her? (She speaks Portuguese.)
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Carlos though you've probably already visited it, if you have the patience,
http://onelook.com/?w=*&loc=revfp2&clue=midnight+until+sunrise
dalehileman
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Dawn pretty much covers the period from what we called in the Navy first light till actual sunrise. If madrugada covers the period from midnight to sunrise it doesn't quite match.
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old hand
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old hand
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I always thought that anything from midnight on was "morning". Before dawn would be "early morning", dawn to about 9 am would be "mid morning" and 10 to noon "late morning". :0)
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Pre-dawn would work for general purposes (and blue hour for poetic purposes) but for a scientific paper I would use the more specific "midnight-to-sunrise" phrase to be sure of accurate understanding by your audience.
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Carpal Tunnel
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If you're translating it's not always a good practice to strive for a single word translation in the target language for a single word in the source language. I think zed's advice would be good to follow.
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old hand
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old hand
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Like tsuwm highlights, it's common to call them the small hours down here in NZ. Though its more of a phrase than a concise definition. I would also consider everything after midnight until dawn to be 'the morning'.
This from the OED:
c.1250, morn, morewen (see morn) + suffix -ing, on pattern of evening. Originally the time just before sunrise.
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Carpal Tunnel
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The small hours, or the wee small hours of the morning is maybe not that common in the US, but well known, at least amongst us geezers. It generally refers to the hours after midnight when revelers are still up reveling. It applies till dawn only if the revelers continue reveling till dawn.
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Carpal Tunnel
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....us geezers for sure.
I've heard it called the 'wee small hours of the night" for
years.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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wee small hours of the night
Never heard that, but I have heard "the wee hours of the morning". Mayhaps I ain't reached geezerhood yet. Not!
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I linked to the Carly Simon version (above) because it includes the following intro which relates directly to this discussion (and which Frank skipped):
When the sun is high in the afternoon sky
You can always find something to do
But from dusk till dawn as the clock ticks on
Something happens to you..
In the wee small hours of the morning
etc.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Frank Sinatra and Carly Simon version
Yes, I know, you linked and alluded to those songs. All I am saying is that I never heard anybody utter wee small hours (of the morning) in my presence. Guess we three hung out with different folks.
[Added some words to improve readability.]
Last edited by zmjezhd; 08/25/2009 12:05 PM.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Being on dialup and with limited time available for these boards, I have a tendency not to follow links. I actually don't even remember seeing your post. I think sometimes the board skips me past recent posts that I haven't seen when it jumps me to new posts.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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sometimes the board skips me past recent posts that I haven't seen when it jumps me to new posts. It's done that to me several times. If I happen to scroll up, then I think, "Huh?"
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old hand
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old hand
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I suggest: "the second half of the night"
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