noon

Where does the word "noon" come from? It comes from Latin nona hora, passing through Old English before entering English (1300s).

Noon’s story begins in Latin: nona hora meant “ninth hour, about 3 pm.” 'the ninth hour' counted from sunrise, about 3 pm; the monastic office of None was said then. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old English as nōn. Borrowed through the Church for the mid-afternoon service and meal. It reached English by 1300s as noon. Shifted to midday between the 1100s and 1300s; one explanation is that fasts ended at None, which gave an incentive to say it earlier. Today, noon means twelve o'clock in the day; midday.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · classical nona hora "ninth hour, about 3 pm", 'the ninth hour' counted from sunrise, about 3 pm; the monastic office of None was said then.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · medieval nōn "3 pm service", borrowed through the Church for the mid-afternoon service and meal.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s noon "12 o'clock midday", shifted to midday between the 1100s and 1300s; one explanation is that fasts ended at None, which gave an incentive to say it earlier.