meridian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /məˈɹɪ.dɪ.ən/ (UK); /məˈɹɪ.di.ən/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English meridien, borrowed from Old French meridien (“of midday”),^[2][3][4][5] and directly from Latin merīdiānus (“of midday; southern”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from merīdiēs “midday, south”,^[2][3][4][5] an alteration by dissimilation of *medī diē “in the middle of the day”, from medius “middle” and diēs “day”.^[2][3][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Midday, noon (about 1350 in Barnhart; before 1380 in the OED).^[3][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The astronomical and geographical sense, a great circle passing through the poles, is recorded from 1391.^[3][4][7] From the sun's highest point at noon came the figurative sense “the point of highest development or splendour”, which implies a decline afterwards (1613).^[7][4] The word also meant “the south” (1430–40), now obsolete.^[7] In acupuncture, the meridians are pathways along which vital energy is said to flow.^[6][1]

Timeline

• c. 1350 – midday, noon.^[3][7]
• 1391 – a great circle through the poles.^[3][4]
• c. 1450 – the highest point reached by the sun.^[7]
• 1613 – figuratively, the peak of development.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An imaginary great circle on the Earth's surface passing through the North and South Poles, or either half of it; all points on it have the same longitude.
2. (astronomy) A great circle of the celestial sphere passing through its poles and the zenith of an observer.
3. The highest point, as of development or power; the peak.
4. In acupuncture, any of the pathways along which vital energy is said to flow.
5. (archaic) Midday, noon.

Adjective

1. Of or relating to a meridian.
2. Of or at midday.
3. Of the highest point of development.

Word family

• prime meridian

Related words

• meridienne
• meridional
• longitude
• midday
• p.m.

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press