We use these acronyms all the time, but do we really know what they mean?
Many English words and words that we use every day can be traced back to their Latin origins, and this is true for some of the most confusing abbreviations in the English language. "Lb", which looks like an impossible abbreviation for "book", comes from the Latin word "Libra pondo". "No." as a contraction of the word O-minus well meaning "number" from the Latin "numero". But, if you're wondering, "What do AM and PM stand for?" look no further: these templates also come from Latin.
What does AM and PM mean?
In the United States and many other English-speaking countries, we use these abbreviations all the time. Using them properly makes or breaks our alarm clock settings. But, most people cannot answer the question clearly "What do AM and PM mean?" »
Well, if you are one of those people, think no more. "AM" stands for "ante meridiem". The Latin word "ante meridiem" means "before noon" or "before noon". Therefore, in a 12-hour system, all hours from midnight use this name. PM stands for "post meridiem", which means "after noon" or "after noon", and as such refers to the time from noon. The Latin word "post" has entered our language, along with "after".
How about noon and midnight?
One of the most confusing parts of the AM-PM system, once you answer the question "What does AM and PM mean", is how it is midnight and noon. The confusion that can arise from having two hours of each "hour" in the day is really a strong argument in favor of using military time. So in the 12 hour system, what is 12:00?
Technically, 12:00 p.m., which we know as "00:00", is exactly 12 hours after the previous noon and before the next noon, so that reads as "before" afternoon or "after"? But, of course, 12:00 is noon, so it may seem silly to refer to it as "before" or "after." English-speaking countries translate it by using "12:00" to refer to midnight, since midnight starts a new day, so it can be taken as "before noon" " of the same day. Needless to say it would be more confusing if the time was from 12:00 PM to 12:01 AM. So noon becomes 12 o'clock by default.
However, if you are completely against the language of pronouncing "afternoon" "afternoon", there are actually other Latin abbreviations you can use. The AM/PM format actually has an abbreviation for noon - just the letter "M", which is short for "meridiem", which comes after the "12" and refers to noon. Haven't you heard of it? Well, for better or worse, the name "12M" for "afternoon" is rare and all but lost in antiquity. If the answer to the question "What do AM and PM mean" surprised you,
Sources : Reader's Digest
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