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Origin and history of solstice

solstice(n.)

"one of the two times of the year when the sun is at the greatest distance from the equator," mid-13c., from Old French solstice (13c.), from Latin solstitium "point at which the sun seems to stand still," especially the summer solstice, from sol "the sun" (from PIE root *sawel- "the sun") + past participle stem of sistere "stand still, take a stand; to set, place, cause to stand" (from reduplicated form of PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). In early use, Englished as sunstead (late Old English sunstede).

The season of the year when the Sun is in the Tropicks, are called the Solstices, because at those times the Sun seems to be at a stand with regard to his declination, neither going further from the Equator, nor coming nearer to it for several days. [Thomas Harrington, "Science Improved," 1774]

also from mid-13c.

Entries linking to solstice

armistice(n.)

"temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the parties," 1707, from French armistice (1680s), coined on the model of Latin solstitium (see solstice), etc., from Latin arma "arms" (see arm (n.2)) + -stitium (used only in compounds), from PIE *ste-ti-, suffixed form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."

The word is attested in English from 1660s in the Latin form armistitium. German Waffenstillstand is a loan-translation from French.

Armistice Day (1919) commemorated the end of the Great War of 1914-18 on Nov. 11, 1918, and memorialized the dead in that war. In Britain, after World War II, it merged with Remembrance Day. In U.S. (which had already a Memorial Day for the dead), Armistice Day became a national holiday in 1926. In 1954 it was expanded to also honor living World War II and Korean War veterans and was re-dubbed Veterans Day.

solstitial(adj.)

"of, pertaining to, or happening at the solstices," 1550s, from Latin solstitialis, from solstitium (see solstice).

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tropic
which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from Late Latin tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice...Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change; of or pertaining to the solstice..." (as a noun, "the solstice," short for tropikos kyklos), from trope "a turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn")....
midsummer
"the middle of summer, the period of the summer solstice," Old English midsumor, from mid (adj.) + sumor "summer" (see summer...
halcyon
1540s, in halcyon dayes (translating Latin alcyonei dies, Greek alkyonides hemerai), 14 days of calm weather at the winter solstice...
dog days
shifted down the calendar with the precession of the equinoxes; in ancient Egypt c. 3000 B.C.E. it coincided with the summer solstice...
December
"twelfth and last (by modern reckoning) month of the calendar, the month of the winter solstice," late Old English, from...
Sirius
The connection of the star with scorching heat is due to its ancient heliacal rising at the summer solstice (see dog days...
autumn
Astronomically, from the descending equinox to the winter solstice; in Britain, the season is popularly August through October...
sol
the sun personified, late 14c. (it also is attested in Old English), from Old French and Latin sol "the sun, sunlight," from PIE *s(e)wol-, variant of root *sawel- "the sun." French soleil (10c.) is from Vulgar Latin *soliculus, diminutive of sol; in Vulgar Latin diminutives had
alibi
1743, "a plea of having been elsewhere when an action took place," from Latin alibi (adv.) "elsewhere, somewhere else," locative of alius "another, other, different" (from PIE root *al- (1) "beyond"). The weakened sense of "excuse" is attested since 1912, but technically any proo
commonwealth
mid-15c., commoun welthe, "a community, whole body of people in a state," from common (adj.) + wealth (n.). Specifically "state with a republican or democratic form of government" from 1610s. From 1550s as "any body of persons united by some common interest." Applied specifically

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