Linguists and language enthusiasts often collide over a seemingly simple question: is today a verb? On the surface, the query appears straightforward, yet it unravels into a complex discussion about lexical categories, grammatical function, and the evolution of the English language. To assert that today functions solely as a noun, denoting a specific point in the temporal continuum, is to ignore the dynamic ways in which speakers manipulate the word in casual and formal contexts.
The Argument for "Today" as a Verb
The primary evidence supporting the idea that today can serve as a verb stems from its usage in sports broadcasting and informal speech. Phrases like "to today the project" or "we need to today the schedule" are frequently heard, particularly in American English, where nouns are often converted into verbs to describe the act of scheduling or handling something on that specific day. This phenomenon, known as "verbing," is a productive force in English, allowing speakers to express actions succinctly without resorting to more cumbersome constructions like "to schedule for today" or "to handle today's tasks."
Grammatical Mechanics and Acceptability
From a syntactic standpoint, the acceptance of "today" as a verb hinges on transitivity and context. When used in the verb sense, the word typically requires a direct object representing the task or event being moved forward. For example, in the sentence "Let's today the quarterly review," the phrase "the quarterly review" acts as the direct object, fulfilling the grammatical requirements of a transitive verb. While style guides often flag this usage as colloquial or informal, it persists because it fills a niche, conveying the idea of performing an action on the present day with a specific energy that "to schedule today" might lack.
Informal Usage: Common in speech and digital communication.
Transitive Requirement: The verb usually requires a direct object.
Contextual Flexibility: Often appears in professional settings regarding deadlines.
Productivity of English: Demonstrates the language's ability to generate new functions for old words.
The Argument Against "Today" as a Verb
Conversely, the traditional stance in prescriptive grammar firmly classifies today as an adverb of time, not a verb. In this view, saying "I will today the meeting" is structurally incorrect because today modifies the verb rather than acting as the action itself. Standard English relies on established verbs like "meet," "hold," or "conduct" to carry the primary action, with "today" serving solely to specify when that action occurs. Purists argue that accepting "today" as a verb erodes clarity and contributes to linguistic inflation, where complex verbs are replaced by the simple act of naming a time frame.
Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Perspectives
The debate surrounding today encapsulates the larger conflict between prescriptive and descriptive linguistics. Prescriptivists focus on established rules and dictionaries, which generally list today as a noun or adverb, thereby rejecting the verb classification. Descriptivists, however, study how language is actually used by communities of speakers. Data from corpus linguistics and real-world dialogue indicates a growing tolerance, and indeed usage, of "today" functioning verbally, particularly in North American contexts. This descriptive evidence suggests that the language is evolving to accept a broader definition of the word's function, regardless of traditional admonishments.
Conclusion on Usage
Ultimately, determining whether is today a verb reveals more about the tension between linguistic evolution and established convention than it does about the word itself. While you will rarely find "today" listed as a primary verb in formal dictionaries, its frequent appearance in spoken English and even in business writing indicates a functional shift. Understanding this duality allows speakers to make informed choices: using the established verb forms for formal precision while recognizing the emerging verbial use of today as a valid, if informal, method of communication.
