The terms “am” and “pm” are abbreviations that are commonly used to specify time in the 12-hour clock system. The origins of these abbreviations can be traced back to Latin. The abbreviation “am” stands for “ante meridiem,” which translates to “before midday.” This refers to the time period from midnight until noon.
On the other hand, the abbreviation “pm” is derived from the Latin phrase “post meridiem,” which means “after midday.” It is used to indicate the time period from noon until midnight.
These abbreviations are used to differentiate between the two halves of the day in the 12-hour clock system. The clock starts at midnight, which is designated as 12:00 am. As the morning progresses, the hours are counted from 1 am to 11 am. At noon, the clock switches to the afternoon period, and the hours are then counted from 12 pm to 11 pm. at midnight, the cycle restarts with 12:00 am.
The use of am and pm helps to prevent confusion when scheduling or referring to specific times. For example, if someone says a meeting will take place at 2 pm, it is clear that it will be in the afternoon. Similarly, if a television show is scheduled for 8 am, it is understood that it will be in the morning.
It is worth noting that the 12-hour clock system is predominantly used in the United States and a few other countries. In contrast, the 24-hour clock system, also known as military or international time, is widely used in many other parts of the world. This system eliminates the need for am and pm since the hours are simply counted from 00:00 to 23:59, representing midnight to the following midnight.
The terms am and pm are abbreviations derived from Latin that are used to indicate whether a time falls before or after noon in the 12-hour clock system. Understanding their meaning helps in avoiding confusion and accurately specifying time.