cenit

Forms

cenit n (indeclinable)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Arabic سَمْت (samt, “direction, path”), badly transcribed.^[1][2] The Arabic term was the phrase سمت الرأس (samt ar-raʾs, “direction of the head”),^[3][4][2] of which the Latin word keeps only the first part.^[2] Wiktionary explains ⟨cenit⟩ as a misreading of an earlier ⟨cemt⟩, and Etymonline says that the letter ⟨m⟩ was read as ⟨ni⟩.^[1][2] Wiktionary traces the Arabic word further, through Aramaic, to Latin sēmita (“path”);^[1] Etymonline only suggests that the rough likeness of the Arabic term to the Latin word may have influenced the Medieval Latin word.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler, following Latham's word-list of British sources, dates the first record to about 1200.^[5] Robert Grosseteste defines the zenith capitis as the end of a straight line drawn from the centre of the earth through a man's head up to the firmament.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was a word of astronomy, often in the phrase zenith capitis, “the zenith of the head”.^[4] Sacrobosco writes that at the summer solstice the sun can come no nearer to the zenith of our head, and Roger Bacon speaks of a star on the meridian line approaching the zenith of the observer.^[4] The spellings varied a great deal: the DMLBS quotes ⟨zenith⟩, ⟨cenith⟩, ⟨ceniz⟩ and, in a manuscript of Wyclif, ⟨cenit⟩,^[4] and Etymonline adds ⟨zyneth⟩, ⟨zymeth⟩ and ⟨senit⟩.^[2]

English zenith came from it in the late 14th century, partly through Old French ⟨cenith⟩;^[2] Middle English also had the forms cenyth, cenith, senyth, cenit, cinit and senith.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 1200 – British sources record ⟨cenith⟩.^[5]
• late 14th century – English zenith is taken from it, partly through Old French.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin, astronomy) The zenith, the point of the sky directly above an observer; also cenith capitis.^[1][4][5]

Related words

• English zenith

Usage notes

Most dictionaries file it under the spelling zenith: the DMLBS heads it zenith, cenith, and the MLW, the Lexicon Bohemorum and Köbler refer cenit to zenith.^[4][6][7][5] Wiktionary gives ceniz as another form.^[1] Köbler and the DMLBS also record cenit as a spelling of the unrelated choenix.^[5][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Victionarium (Latin Wiktionary), la.wiktionary.org
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences