meridian

meridian · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*me
2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
3. Proto-Indo-European*médʰi
4. Proto-Indo-European*médʰyos
5. Proto-Italic*meðios
6. Latinmedius
7. Proto-Indo-European*dyew-
8. Proto-Indo-European*dyḗws
9. Proto-Italic*djous
10. Latindiēs
11. Latinmedīdiēs
12. Latinmerīdiēs
13. Latinmerīdiānus
14. Middle Englishmeridian
15. English todaymeridian

The noun is derived from Late Middle English meridian, meridien (“midday, noon; position of the sun at noon; the south; longitude of a place; (astronomy) celestial meridian”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman meridien (“midday”), Middle French meridien (“midday; the south; terrestrial meridian; (astronomy) celestial meridian”) (modern French méridien), and Old French meridiane, meridiiene, and from their etymon Latin merīdiānum (“midday; position of the sun at noon; the south”), a noun use of the neuter form of merīdiānus (“relating to midday; southern”); see further at etymology 1. Sense 1.1 (“celestial meridian”) is ultimately modelled after Latin merīdiāna līnea (“meridian line”). Sense 5.2 (“midday rest; siesta”) is modelled after Late Latin meridiana (“midday; midday rest”), probably short for Latin merīdiāna hōra (“midday time”). The verb is derived from the noun.

meridian · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dyew-“heaven, sky; to be bright”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*médʰyos“middle”
3. Old Latin · derived frommedīdiēs
4. Latin · derived frommerīdiānus“relating to midday; southern”
5. Old French · derived frommeridiane“relating to midday; southern”
6. Middle French · derived frommeridien
7. Middle English · inherited frommeridian
8. English todaymeridian

PIE word *médʰyos From Late Middle English meridian, meridien (“relating to midday or noon; southern; (astronomy) relating to the celestial meridian”) [and other forms], from Middle French meridien, Old French meridiane (“relating to midday; southern”) (whence Anglo-Norman meridien; modern French méridien), and from their etymon Latin merīdiānus (“relating to midday; southern”), from merīdiēs (“midday, noon; the south (due to the southward orientation of the sun at noon in the Northern Hemisphere)”) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Merīdiēs is a dissimilated form of Old Latin medīdiēs (with the -d- sound shifted to -r-), from medius (“middle”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos (“middle”)) + diēs (“day”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dyew- (“heaven, sky; to be bright”)).

meridian · noun³

1. Mandarin · derived from經 /经
2. Latin · derived frommerīdiānum“midday; position of the sun at noon; the south”
3. German · borrowed fromMeridian“pathway on the body along which life force is thought to flow”
4. French · borrowed fromméridien
5. English todaymeridian

Borrowed from French méridien or German Meridian (“pathway on the body along which life force is thought to flow”), from Latin merīdiānum (“midday; position of the sun at noon; the south”) (see further at etymology 2); the French and German words are calques of Mandarin 經 /经, 经 (jīng, “pathway on the body along which life force is thought to flow; longitude; warp of woven fabric; to go or pass through”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. In full celestial meridian: a great circle passing through the poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith for a particular point on the Earth's surface.
• from 14th c. In full terrestrial meridian: a great circle on the Earth's surface, passing through the geographic poles (the terrestrial North Pole and South Pole); also, half of such a circle extending from pole to pole, all points of which have the same longitude.
• from 16th c. The highest or most developed point, or most splendid stage, of something; culmination, peak, zenith.
• from 17th c. Chiefly followed by of: the middle period of someone's life, when they are at their full abilities or strength; one's prime.
• from 18th c. A line passing through the poles of any sphere; a notional line on the surface of a curved or round body (in particular, an eyeball).
• 14th–17th c. The south.
• 14th–19th c. Midday, noon.
• 16th–19th c. A particular area or situation considered as having a specific characteristic or identity; also, the characteristics, habits, or tastes of a specific group, locale, etc.