Noon
/nuːn/noun
The time of day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky; midday.
Did you know?The term 'noon' originally referred to the ninth hour after dawn, a time associated with prayer and the sun's zenith, reflecting ancient rituals and beliefs about divine alignment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nókʷts
“night, darkness”
Latin
Latin
nona
“the ninth hour, associated with prayer and daily rituals”
Old French
Old French
nonne
“the hour of prayer in the afternoon, derived from Latin”
Middle English
Middle English
none
“the hour following the sixth hour, used in a sacred context”
Modern English
English
noon
“a term now denoting midday, shifting from a religious to a secular meaning.”