This week's theme: There is a word for it.
nychthemeron (nik-THEM-er-on) noun
A full period of a day and night: 24 hours.
[From Greek, a combination of nykt- (night) and hemera (day).]
Ever wondered why day and night were divided into 12 hours? The number
12 is not as random as it sounds. There are 12 moons in a year. The
number 12 is easy to divide into halves, thirds, and quarters. Also,
some cultures counted in base 12: three joints on each finger (thumb
as the counter).
Aren't we glad a nychthemeron isn't divided in metric? Who wants to
sleep 30 hours every night?
-Anu Garg (gargATwordsmith.org)
PS: Thanks for your overwhelming response to the new book and for making it #1
in reference on Amazon.com: http://amazon.com/o/asin/0471778788/ws00-20
"Newborns alternate between sleep and wake many times during a nychthemeron."
William H Moorcroft and Paula Belcher; Understanding Sleep and Dreaming;
Springer; 2003.
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I have lost all sense of home, having moved about so much. It means to me
now--only that place where the books are kept. -John Steinbeck, novelist,
Nobel laureate (1902-1968)
Forensic Linguistics: Discuss the role of language in the world of crime
and justice, in a live chat with Roger W. Shuy, forensic linguistics expert,
professor, author: Nov 7, 2005, 7 PM Pacific (GMT -8) http://wordsmith.org/chat
Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/nychthemeron.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/nychthemeron.ram
Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/nychthemeron.html
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