zenith

Where does the word "zenith" come from? It comes from Arabic samt, passing through Old Spanish before entering English (medieval).

Zenith’s story begins in Arabic: samt meant “path, direction overhead.” Meaning "path" or "direction", from "samt ar-ra's" (path over the head). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old Spanish as cenit. A scribe misread Arabic 'samt', path, as 'senit'. It reached English by medieval as zenith. Settled as the English astronomical term. Today, zenith means the highest point reached by a celestial body, or the peak of something.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval samt "path, direction overhead", meaning "path" or "direction", from "samt ar-ra's" (path over the head).
2. Stage 2 · Old Spanish · medieval cenit "the point directly overhead", a scribe misread Arabic 'samt', path, as 'senit'.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval zenith "the highest point in the sky above an observer", settled as the English astronomical term.