latitude English · revision 1030

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈlætɪtjuːd/, /ˈlætɪtʃuːd/ ''(UK)''; /ˈlætɪtud/, /ˈlætətjud/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|latitude]], [[bor|fro|latitude|t=width]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and directly [[der|la|lātitūdō|t=breadth, width, extent]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''lātus'' “wide”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The Latin adjective goes back to Old Latin ''stlātus'', perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root ''*stele-'' “to spread”.^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Breadth, width, and geographical latitude (about 1390).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The geographical and astronomical senses arose in the late 14th century from the “breadth” of the known world as drawn on a map.^(Etymonline) By the early 15th century the word was used figuratively for an allowable degree of variation,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and by 1605 for freedom from narrow restrictions, as in liberal interpretation.^(OED 1989) In photography ''latitude'' is the range of exposures that still give a usable image (1889).^(OED 1989)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1390 – breadth; geographical latitude.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1425 – the range within which something may vary.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1605 – freedom from narrow restrictions.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1777 – ''latitudinal''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1889 – in photography, the range of usable exposures.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The angular distance north or south of the Earth's [[equator]], measured in degrees along a [[meridian]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A region of the Earth considered in relation to its distance from the equator.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # ''(astronomy)'' The angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the [[ecliptic]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Freedom from normal restraints or limitations; scope.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(photography)'' The range of exposures over which a film gives usable images.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Extent; breadth.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[latitudinal]]

+ * [[latitudinally]]

+ * [[colatitude]]

+ * [[latitudinarian]]

+ * [[horse latitudes]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[longitude]]

+ * [[dilate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}