Gene: It's not meridien (with a final n); it's meridiem, with a final m.
You won't find either as a standalone entry in an English-language dictionary. Meridien is French (and, among non-francophones, is best known today in the context of the chain of "Le Meridien" hotels). Meridiem only appears within the definitions of a.m. and p.m. It occurred to me that there must be a Wikipedia entry for it. I just Googled it and there it was. So, for the full treatment of the subject, click here: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock. I don't have any cigars, as I'm also not a smoker. However, I do enjoy a good metaphor now and then. Bill -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [ <mailto:[email protected]> mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 08:31 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:42870] Pertaining to Noon Bill, You fault my "partial correction" for use of "meridian" rather than "meridien"; I suppose? My Webster and my Winston dictionaries have no prime entries for "meridien" only for meridian. My Webster for meridian: Latin "meridianus"; Middle English and Middle French "meridien" My Winston for meridian: Latin "meridianus"; Old French "meridien" By those authorities, meridien is Old French, Middle French, or Middle English. Which do you acknowledge? Or, do you now appeal to the Oxford English dictionary? Keep your cigars. I have never been a smoker! (except a puff or two on corn silk as a youth, <g> Gene. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 10:52:57 -0800 >From: "Bill Potts" <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:42858] Re: Hot and dry >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > >Gene: > >I posted my correction last night. I saw your partial correction just now. > >Just check your Merriam-Webster (or other good American dictionary). It's >meridiem. It's from the Latin, of course. Remember that, in Latin, the word >endings change depending on case (as they also do in German, for example). > >Merriam-Webster uses "a.m." rather than "am." My own preference is for the >latter. My real preference, of course, is for the ISO 8601 Standard for >dates and times (i.e., I prefer the 24-hour form). > >You may get a cigar, but not from me. <g> > >Bill > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] [ <mailto:[email protected]> mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >Of [email protected] >Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 10:39 >To: U.S. Metric Association >Subject: [USMA:42857] Re: Hot and dry > > >Bill, > >I did post my correction *before* your correction of my error. >Do I get my cigar? > >I'm uncertain about the spellings meridiem and meridian? >Is the former Latin and Oxford English, and the latter modern American >English? > >Gene.
