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Etymology Dictionary

Origin and Etymology of the word NADIR.

From An Etymology Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893

 

NADIR.  the point of the sky opposite the zenith.  (Arab.)   Chaucer uses nadir to signify the point of the zodiac opposite to that in which the sun is situate; Treatise on the Astrolabe, pt. ii. sect. 6, l. I.—Arab. nazíru’s ’samt (or simply nazir), the point of the sky opposite the zenith.—Arab. nazír, alike, corresponding to; and as’ samt, the azimuth, or rather an abbreviation of samtu’r’ras, the zenith.   Rich. Dict. pp. 1586, 848.   See Azimuth, Zenith.   The Arab. z here used is the 17th letter of the Arab. alphabet, an unusual letter with a difficult sound, which came to be rendered by d in Low Lat. and E.

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Etymology Dictionary Index
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Key
Arab.=Arabic.
A.S.=Anglo Saxon.
Bavar.=Bavarian
Bohem.=Bohemian.
C.=Celtic, used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Cornish, &c.
Corn.=Cornish.
Dan.=Danish.
Du.=Dutch
E.=English.
E.E.=Early English.
Europ.=European.
F.=French.
G.=German.
Gk.=Greek.
Goth.=Gothic.
Icel.=Icelandic.
Ital.=Italian.
L. or Lat.=Latin.
Lith. & Lithuan.=Lithuanian.
M.E.=Middle English.
M.F.=Middle French
M.H.G.=Middle High German.
Norw.=Norwegian.
O.F.=Old French.
O.H.G.=Old High German.
Pers.=Persian.
Port.=Portuguese.
Scand.=Scandinavian, used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, &c.
Sc.=Scottish.
Skt.=Sanskrit.
Span.=Spanish.
Swed.=Sweish.
Teut.=Teutonic
Turk.=Turkish.
W.=Welsh.

  

 

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