Podne

Podne is a noun used in several South Slavic languages to denote the time of day around midday, typically translated as noon or the middle of the day. In Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin, podne refers to roughly 12:00 local time and can appear in phrases such as u podne, meaning at noon. In Slovene, podne also means noon and is used in similar contexts, for example describing the sun at its highest point.

Usage and context: Podne is used in everyday time-telling as well as in meteorological or astronomical contexts to describe the middle of the daylight period. It can function as a time reference in statements about meals, work, or events scheduled for midday. The term often appears in compound adjectives and phrases, such as podnevni, meaning related to noon, or u podne to indicate a specific time.

Etymology and related terms: Podne is a native Slavic lexeme, formed in the region from the Slavic root associated with the daytime period. It is cognate with related terms across Slavic languages that denote the midday period, though exact forms and vocabulary differ by language. Outside these languages, other European languages use separate terms for noon, such as poledne in Czech and Slovak or południe in Polish.

Geographic distribution: Podne is standard in Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Montenegrin, and Slovene. While closely related concepts exist in neighboring languages, the exact word podne is not universally used beyond these South Slavic varieties.

See also: Noon, Midday, Poledne (Czech/Slovak), Południe (Polish).