The widespread misunderstandings and surprising origins of AM and PM: Enlightenment thanks to Tiktok
The widespread misunderstandings and surprising origins of AM and PM: Enlightenment thanks to Tiktok
The popular misunderstandings
Before we deal with the exact origins of the terms "Am" and "PM", it is important to clarify some widespread misunderstandings. Many of us are familiar with these abbreviations, but have accepted interpretations that are logical but historically not correct.
- after midnight and past midday: a popular assumption that makes intuitive sense but is not historically correct.
- at Morning and Past Morning: another logical assumption, but historically not correct.
Tiktok brings the question into the spotlight
social media have the remarkable ability to raise questions that we didn't even know about. Even centuries -old questions can suddenly gain in importance on Tikok, a platform that seamlessly connects education and entertainment.
A TIKTOK contribution by Amaya Clarke, who quickly won, brought up the centuries-old question about AM and PM again and the reactions were as diverse as numerous.
The truth: a look into the past
In history, the keys to our most urgent questions are often. The 12-hour watch system, although old, harbors stories from the past that reveal the true origins of the AM and PM names that we use today.
- on stands for the Latin phrase "Ante Meridiem", which means "before noon".
- pm comes from "Post Meridiem", which means "after noon".
12 p.m. at noon and 12 p.m., however, oppose this classification in their own way.
The public reaction: a mixture of surprise and knowledge
The revelations about something as omnipresent as time markings inevitably trigger a variety of reactions. The digital age enables people from all over the world, their astonishment to share their previous knowledge or their humorous views of such discoveries.
The variety of reactions to the Tikok video illustrates the different experiences and backgrounds of the viewers.
important tip: cope with the confusion around lunchtime
While the origins and exact meanings of AM and PM are interesting, practical use is just as crucial. Times are often integrated into our routine that we overlook their potential for confusion, especially when it comes to distinction between noon and midnight.
The name from 12 noon can often be a point of confusion, so it is important to tackle this for clear communication.
Other interesting facts about time
Beyond the am and PM puzzles exists a world full of fascinating details about the time measurement. Over the centuries, people have developed numerous methods, systems and devices to measure and understand time, each of which has their own series of special features and stories.
from old methods to the precision of atomic clocks, the journey of time measurement is far -reaching and diverse.
The understanding of the origins and nuances of time measurement may appear like trivial employment for some, but underlines a broader human striving. Time, in all their fleeting essence, has always been an object of human curiosity. Regardless of whether you rediscovered the meaning of AM and PM or deeper into the history books of watchmaking, promises the journey to be illuminating.