Joe Reid wrote: >2. I have been unable to find AM and PM in any of my dictionaries. >However, I surmise that *AM* is an abbreviation for *avant midi*, >meaning *before noon*; and *PM* an abbreviation for *post midi*, >meaning *after noon*.
No, it's ante meridiem and post meridiem (Latin), meaning before and after the Sun's highest point (ignoring the arbitrariness of time zones and standard vs. daylight saving time, of course). If it were French, they'd both be am (avant midi and aprÃs midi). By the way, dictionaries normally describe am (or a.m.) and pm (or p.m.) in the section on abbreviations, not in the main body of the book. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
