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"midday, noon" in seven languages

Meaningmidday, noon

Spanish

mediodía

/medjoˈdia/

masc.inherited

French

midi

/midi/

masc.inherited

Le Midi is also the south of France.

Italian

mezzogiorno

/meddzoˈdʒorno/

masc.inherited

Il Mezzogiorno is also southern Italy; mezzo + giorno (from DIURNUM).

Portuguese

meio-dia

/ˈmeju ˈdʒiɐ/

masc.inherited

Romanian

amiază

/aˈmjazə/

fem.inherited

From AD MEDIAM DIEM; everyday speech also says la prânz 'at lunchtime'.

Catalan

migdia

/midʒˈdiə/

masc.inherited

English

midday

/ˈmɪddeɪ/

native English · Old English middæg

Mid- is a distant cognate of MEDIUS (PIE *médʰyos), but day is not related to DIĒS.

English → Italianmidday, noonmezzogiornoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: medium, meridian (MERĪDIĒS, Latin's own fused 'mid-day').What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MEDIUM DIEM‘the middle of the day’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

In both France and Italy, 'noon' also names the south, where the sun stands at midday.

English relatives: medium, meridian (MERĪDIĒS, Latin's own fused 'mid-day')

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In a sentence

  • esComemos a mediodía.
  • frOn déjeune à midi.
  • itPranziamo a mezzogiorno.
  • ptA gente almoça ao meio-dia.
  • roLuăm prânzul la amiază.
  • caDinem a migdia.
  • enWe have lunch at noon.

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