azimuth

Where does the word "azimuth" come from? It comes from Arabic as-sumut, passing through Old French before entering English (medieval).

Azimuth’s story begins in Arabic: as-sumut meant “directions, paths.” Literally "the ways" or "directions". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as azimut. Latin astronomers transcribed Arabic 'as-sumut', the directions, in translating Ptolemy's work via Arabic. It reached English by medieval as azimuth. Settled as the English astronomical and navigational term. Today, azimuth means the angular direction of an object measured clockwise from north.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval as-sumut "directions, paths", literally "the ways" or "directions".
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval azimut "a compass direction", Latin astronomers transcribed Arabic 'as-sumut', the directions, in translating Ptolemy's work via Arabic.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval azimuth "an angular direction measured from north", settled as the English astronomical and navigational term.