Where does “meridian” come from?
meridian (Middle English) comes from Middle French meridien, from Latin meridianus, from Latin merīdiēs, from Latin medīdiēs, from Latin diēs, from Proto-Italic djēm, from Proto-Italic *djous, from Proto-Indo-European dyḗws — to be bright; sky, heaven.
Ancestry of “meridian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | meridien | midday; the south; celestial meridian |
| 2 | Latin | meridianus | midday, noon; southern |
| 3 | Latin | merīdiēs | midday, noon |
| 4 | Latin | medīdiēs | — |
| 5 | Latin | diēs | A day, particularly |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | djēm | accusative singular of *djous |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *djous | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dyḗws | sky, heaven; sky god |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dyéws | sky, heaven |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |