Where does “ante meridiem” come from?
ante meridiem (English) comes from Medieval Latin ante merīdiem, from Latin ante, from Ancient Greek κλίσις, from Ancient Greek -σῐς, from Ancient Greek -τις, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.
ante meridiem (English): before noon, in the morning
Definitions
- before noon, in the morning
Ancestry of “ante meridiem”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | ante merīdiem | — |
| 2 | Latin | ante | before, in front, forwards; before; before,... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κλίσις | bending, inclination; a lying down; a place for... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -σῐς | "suffix forming nouns" |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τις | retained after dentals |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |