The Voice of Allan Zade
In the Middle Ages, such diversity of names related to the exact property of celestial events (duration) needed to create one common link that could encompass all meanings of its predecessors. Moreover, it must be cleared from connection with ancient gods because such a link was undesirable for the European population in the Middle Ages. That happened because different Gods were worshiped in the Middle Ages. Any attempt to worship or even mention any name of another god (old, ancient, etc.) became an inexpiable sin punishable by the Catholic Church.
The notion of Time was born that way. It had a link to a recurrent process and duration but was free from any link to ancient gods and ancient theology. “Time Origin: Old English tīma, of Germanic origin; related to tide, which it superseded in temporal senses. The earliest of the current verb senses (dating from late Middle English) is ‘do (something) at a particular moment’” (Oxford Dictionary, English-English, electronic edition)
In other words, the earliest meaning of that word has reference to some action at the right moment. For example, they can say, “Hey! It is Time! (or it is high Tide!)”. So, it is the right moment to set sail and go out from the harbor because the water is high, and it is easy for a ship to maneuver inside a harbor! Hence, the word “Time” has possessed its temporal senses artificially much later than the original meaning of that word. However, the relationship between Chronos and Time still exists because both words have the link to recurrent physical processes. For instance, we can see the following relation. Chronos was responsible for the day circle in Ancient tradition. Time, in its original meaning, is related to the tide. What is the tide?
Tide is any of the cyclic deformations of one astronomical body caused by the gravitational forces exerted by others. The most familiar are the periodic variations in sea level on the Earth that correspond to changes in the relative positions of the Moon and the Sun.
At the surface of the Earth the gravitational force of the Moon is about 2.2 times greater than that of the Sun. The tide-producing action of the Moon arises from the variations in its gravitational field over the surface of the Earth as compared with its strength at the Earth's centre. The effect is that the water tends to accumulate on the parts of the Earth's surface directly toward and directly opposite the Moon and to be depleted elsewhere. The regions of accumulation move over the surface as the position of the Moon varies relative to the Earth, mainly because of the Earth's rotation but also because of the Moon's orbital motion around the Earth. There are approximately two high and two low tides per day at any given place, but they occur at times that change from day to day; the average interval between consecutive high tides is 12 hours 25 minutes. The effect of the Sun is similar and additive to that of the Moon. Consequently, the tides of largest range or amplitude (spring tides) occur at New Moon, when the Moon and the Sun are in the same direction, and at Full Moon, when they are in opposite directions; the tides of smallest range (neap tides) occur at intermediate phases of the Moon.
- tide. (2008). Encyclopedia Britannica 2008 Deluxe Edition. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
Hence, “approximately two high and two low tides per day at any given place.” Therefore, the sum of the duration of two tides is approximately equal to the duration of one day. In other words, the critical circle of duration associated with Time and Chronos (the duration of a day) relates to each other (rate) as ½. I mean that both circles maintain their comparability by duration because any duration is comparable to any other duration as a quantity with the same unit of measurement. For instance, mass is ever comparable with mass, length is comparable with length, and so on.