“What Does Ante Meridiem Mean?”
The term “ante meridiem” is derived from the Latin phrase “ante meridiēm” which translates to “before midday”. This term is typically used to refer to the time before noon. In North America the term “a.m.” is used to designate this time period.
Ante meridiem can also be abbreviated as “AM” or “A.M.”. The term “ante meridiem” is typically used in reference to clock time whereas the similar term “post meridiem” is used to refer to the time after noon.
The use of “ante meridiem” to refer to the time before noon is common in many countries including the United States Canada the United Kingdom and Australia.
In the United States the term “a.m.” is typically used in reference to radio and television broadcasts. For example a radio program that airs at 8:00 a.m. on weekdays would be referred to as “eight a.m. weekdays” or “weekdays at eight a.m.”.
In the United Kingdom the term “ante meridiem” is often used in legal documents such as court proceedings. For example a document that is dated “5th July 2017 at 10:00 a.m.” would be read as “the fifth of July two thousand and seventeen ten a.m.”.
In Australia the term “ante meridiem” is commonly used in reference to time zones. For example the eastern time zone of Australia is referred to as “eastern standard time” (EST) which is 10:00 a.m. in New South Wales Victoria Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
The use of “ante meridiem” to refer to the time before noon is not exclusive to the English language. The term is also used in Spanish French Italian and other languages.
What does ante meridiem mean?
Answer 1: Before noon.
