The internet has gone into meltdown after discovering the real definitions of AM and PM, with some admitting they “feel stupid”. Some things are so ingrained in our daily language we never stop to question their origins.
If you’re among those who have no clue what AM and PM stand for, rest assured – you’re in good company. The seemingly simple query recently threw X users into a full-blown existential crisis as they realised AM and PM aren’t just arbitrary letters used to indicate time, reports the Mirror.
‘AM’ comes from the Latin phrase ‘ante merīdiem’, meaning ‘before noon/midday,’ while ‘PM’, or ‘post merīdiem’, means ‘after noon/midday.
X, formerly Twitter, user @IAMTOINEJ started the conversation, curiously posting: “I might be called stupid after this, but WTF does ‘AM’ and ‘PM’ stand for?”
While some might consider this general knowledge, the user’s question turned into an educational moment for thousands of people. While many were aware of what the abbreviations stood for and were keen to share their insights, several others were just as surprised and bewildered.
One user confessed: “I’ve never in my life thought to ask this question… lmao”. Another chimed in with a personal revelation, saying: “Haha, my wife just said, ‘almost morning and past morning?'”
One generous user commented: “I bet 5,000 people got the answer to that question from this post, when they didn’t even have the question in them before this post. That makes it a great post.”
However, not everyone was as kind. The comments section was rife with sarcasm and mockery, with one user writing: “Wow, this gives me a great idea! What if there was some way on the internet that you could search for answers without having to ask specific people? I think a site that could do that might do very well!”
With the meaning of ‘AM’ and ‘PM’ now clear, the question remains about which abbreviation should be used to denote noon and midnight.
Time and Date refers to this as the “main weakness of the 12-hour system”, since neither time can logically be defined as either ‘before’ or ‘after’ noon. Most sources tend to designate midnight as 12am and noon as 12pm.
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