nightkeep
/ˈnaɪtˌkiːp/verbVerified NewAlso in: nachtverwahren (Deutsch) · nocheronda (Español) · nuitgardiennage (Français)
To keep the night — to stay awake on private duty, guarding the quiet while the household sleeps.
To nightkeep is the oldest volunteer work: the parent with the newborn, the writer with the deadline, the insomniac with the house. The keeper does not work exactly — the keeping is the work — and the night is kept the way a fire is kept, by being present for it.
Etym. — night + keep — the vigil metaphor for the private night watch; keep is exactly the verb of maintaining a watch (keep watch, keep the fire).
Novelty check: APPROVE
Evidence log
No query log recorded.