latitude
/ˈlætɪtjuːd/
noun
Origin
Latin
latitudo — breadth, width, extent
Overview
Meaning Now
- The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator, measured in degrees.
- Scope for freedom of action or thought; lack of strictness.
Literal older meaning
breadth, width
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
latitudo
Earliest period
late 14th century
Journey
In medieval cartography and astronomy, 'latitude' (breadth) and 'longitude' (length) were used to define locations on a sphere. Because the Mediterranean Sea is significantly wider from east to west than it is long from north to south, ancient mapmakers conceptualized the east-west dimension as 'length' and the north-south dimension as 'breadth'.
Evolution
- Latin
latitudo
“width, breadth”
From 'latus' meaning 'broad'.
- Old French
latitude
“breadth, latitude”
- Middle English
latitude
“breadth; celestial or terrestrial coordinate”
Connections
Word parts
lat-
root
broad
-itudo
suffix
state or condition
Related across languages
French
latitude
Spanish
latitud
latitude
Explore next
Related to latitude
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.