If you want more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_declension.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of James Frysinger Sent: 04 February 2009 17:07 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:42872] Re: Pertaining to Noon Look up meridies, Gene, but do so in a Latin dictionary. The "-iem" ending in ante meridiem reflects the grammatical case (accusative) of the word. It's like who/whom, only in Latin. Jim [email protected] wrote: > 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]] 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. > > > > -- James R. Frysinger 632 Stony Point Mountain Road Doyle, TN 38559-3030 (C) 931.212.0267 (H) 931.657.3107 (F) 931.657.3108
