Zenith
- “what is the zenith”
- “where does the word zenith come from”
- “zenith vs nadir”
- “is the sun at the zenith at noon”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Zenith | Nadir |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | Overhead | Underfoot |
| From Arabic | samt | naẓīr |
| Figurative | Peak | Low point |
| Relative to | You | You |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Zenith rather than Nadir are usually searching for phrases like “what is the zenith”, “where does the word zenith come from”, “zenith vs nadir”.
03 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“Zenith is a Greek or Latin word, like most astronomical terms.”
What's true
It's Arabic, and it arrived corrupted. Along with nadir, azimuth and dozens of star names, it's a survival of Arabic astronomy's transmission into medieval Europe.
04 · Read either one