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Where Did the Term “Noon Hour” Come From and What Did the Term For Midday Mean Originally?

By Karen Hill

The “noon hour” has shifted several times throughout history, and at one time, when Christians prayed twice a day, it meant both midday and midnight.

In the original Old English the noon hour was the hour for prayers, which at the time was the ninth hour of daylight, or three o’clock in the afternoon.

The singular prayer time, or noon hour, changed to midday, or twelve o’clock, during the Middle Ages in Britain.

The term stuck and we still call midday the “noon hour”.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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