On Mon, 16 Jul 2001, Alberto Monteiro wrote:
>
> Julia Thompson wrote:
> >
> >My dictionary has the following definition:
> >
> >midwinter n. 1. The middle of the winter. 2. The period of the winter
> >solstice, about December 22.
> >
> Definition (2) is the corollary of the Earth-based definition of _Winter_ -
> and it contradicts (1), because December 22 marks the time when
> Winter begins or Autumn ends.
>
> >So by the second definition, you don't need all the extra stuff to explain
> >why Mid-Winter Day was on the *solstice*.
> >
> >And no, the English language doesn't necessarily make sense when you think
> >it should....
> >
> But this ain't no English, this is Latin. Solstice = not-moving Sun =
> Sun doesn't get higher or lower this day. If you measure the angle
> from the horizon to the sun at noon for every day, in *all* days
> except two the Sun is either rising or falling. The two days when the
> Sun doesn't change the position are the solstices.
"Midwinter" is English, and that's the bit that doesn't entirely make
sense by the second definition. THAT'S what I was referring to.
The Latin-derived "solstice" is clearly defined and does make sense.
Julia
