Plural of dawn; the times when daylight first appears each morning. Can also be third-person singular present of 'dawn' meaning to begin to become evident.
From Middle English 'dawen,' ultimately from Old English 'dagian' meaning 'to become day,' related to 'daeg' (day). The word evolved from a verb meaning 'to become day' into a noun representing that specific time period. The metaphorical sense of 'beginning to understand' developed from the idea of light illuminating darkness.
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