late-morning
Meaning
Occurring in or relating to the part of the morning that is closer to midday.
Structure
Usage
We scheduled a late-morning meeting to allow everyone time to commute.
The fog usually burns off by late-morning, revealing a clear blue sky.
She enjoys a late-morning coffee break around eleven o'clock.
Etymology
The compound "late-morning" is a transparent English formation, combining two native Germanic elements to denote a specific time period. The word "late" evolved from the Old English læt, which originally meant "slow" or "sluggish," a sense that extended to mean "after the expected or proper time." "Morning" derives from "morn," referring to the early part of the day. When combined, the literal meaning "the part of the morning that is tardy or advanced" logically creates the modern sense of the period approaching noon, illustrating how English readily forms precise temporal descriptors through compounding.
Analysis
- late: From Old English læt (slow, tardy), of Germanic origin. Functions as an adjective modifying 'morning'. - morning: From Middle English morwening, from morwen (morrow) + -ing (suffix denoting a period). Functions as the core noun.