AM vs PM
Difference between AM and PM can be confusing when we do not know what each term stands for. AM and PM indicate two sessions of time in a day. They are both different. AM stands for Ante Meridiem, whereas PM stands for Post Meridiem. Did you know this before? However, this is the main difference between the two abbreviations. It is interesting to note that both the abbreviations, AM and PM are used as adjectives, since they describe the time of the day or the night as the case may be. Then let this article explain to you how AM and PM is used in the language, what makes them different from one another and to which belongs 12 o’clock in the morning and 12 o’clock at night.
What does AM mean?
AM or ante meridiem means ‘before noon’ in Latin. There is a belief that AM means ‘after midnight’. This is so because the time represented by AM is between 12’o clock in the night or midnight, and 12’o clock or noon. However, this could have come to usage because it is easier to remember than the Latin term for someone who is not familiar with Latin. Not many people are familiar with Latin anyway.
What does PM mean?
PM or post meridiem means ‘after noon’ in Latin. When the time before noon is called AM, the time after noon is understandably called as PM.
It is interesting to note that the time 12’o clock is called either as midnight or as noon. Observe the sentences given below.
I expect you will come at noon.
He slept at the stroke of midnight.
In the first sentence, you can see that the word ‘noon’ is understood as 12’o clock in the morning, and the word ‘midnight’ in the second sentence, is understood as 12’o clock in the night. Hence, it can be inferred that both noon and midnight cannot be represented either by AM or PM. This is a very important observation to make while representing time with AM or PM.
Sometimes, we do find midnight represented as 12 pm and noon represented as 12 am, but it is not right to do so. In short, it can be said that AM and PM start immediately after midnight and noon or midday respectively. Thus, 00:00 am and 12:00 pm have no meanings at all. They can be simply called as midnight and noon respectively.
What is the difference between AM and PM?
• AM stands for Ante Meridiem, which means before noon, whereas PM stands for Post Meridiem, which means after noon. This is the main difference between the two abbreviations.
• Some say, AM stands for ‘after midnight.’ However, that must have come to usage because it is easier to remember than the Latin term Ante Meridiem.
• 12 o’clock at night and 12 o’clock in the morning as known as midnight and noon for easy usage to stop them from being confused.
• Both the abbreviations, AM and PM, are used as adjectives, since they describe the time of the day or the night as the case may be.
These are the differences between AM and PM.