מָחֳרָתַיִם (Machoratayim) — the day after tomorrow
Etymology
The word machoratayim was introduced to Modern Hebrew by Rabbi Zeev Yavetz in 1891. Yavetz, a prolific linguist and historian who immigrated to Israel in 1887, published many of his linguistic innovations in literary collections such as Ha'aretz. He discovered the word in a printed edition of Midrash Tehillim (also known as Shocher Tov), a midrashic work first documented in Europe during the 11th century. In the text, it appears in a passage where characters discuss waiting "until the day after tomorrow" (machoratayim) to travel together.
However, the word's origin is somewhat mysterious. Analysis of early manuscripts of Midrash Tehillim reveals that machoratayim does not appear in the original versions; instead, the text uses simpler phrasing such as "and after that we will go." This suggests the word may have been a later scribal addition or a typographical unique to the printed edition Yavetz consulted. Structurally, the word perfectly fits Hebrew logic, applying the dual suffix -ayim (representing two) to machorat (the morrow) to signify the day after tomorrow.
Key Quotes
"אמר להן יש לי לחרוש היום ומחר אבל המתינו לי עד שאחרוש ולמחרתים נלך ביחד" — Midrash Tehillim 12
Timeline
- 11th Century: Midrash Tehillim is first documented in Europe.
- 1891: Zeev Yavetz publishes machoratayim in the second volume of the literary collection Ha'aretz.
Related Words
- מָחָר (machar) — tomorrow
- מָחֳרָת (machorat) — the next day / the morrow
- שִׁלְשׁוֹם (shilshom) — the day before yesterday