Minute
Unit of time equal to 60 seconds, with historical sexagesimal roots.
The minute (symbol: min) is a time unit equal to 60 seconds. The prime symbol (′) is also used informally to denote minutes. Under the UTC time standard, a minute occasionally lasts 61 seconds due to leap seconds; a 59-second minute is possible in theory via a negative leap second, but this has never happened in over 40 years.
The word "minute" comes from the Latin *pars minuta prima*, meaning "first small part." This division of the hour was further refined as the "second small part" (*pars minuta secunda*), which gave us the word "second." The terms "third" (1/60 of a second) and "fourth" were once used, but modern practice subdivides seconds decimally. The prime (′) and double prime (″) symbols indicate the first and second cuts of the hour, analogous to the foot and inch as cuts of the yard or chain. In 1000 CE, the scholar Al-Biruni first sexagesimally subdivided the hour into minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths while discussing Jewish months. In 1267, Roger Bacon defined time between full moons in hours, minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths after noon on specific dates. Clockmaker Jost Bürgi added the first minute hand to a clock for astronomer Tycho Brahe in 1577. The minute hand appeared in watches only after Thomas Tompion invented the hairspring in 1675.
- definition
- 60 seconds (rarely 61 or 59 seconds in UTC)
- etymology
- Latin 'pars minuta prima' (first small part)
- symbol
- min, or prime symbol (′) informally
Lore & Background
A minute is a unit of time equal to 60 seconds. In the context of the UTC time standard, a minute can occasionally have 61 seconds due to the insertion of a leap second; a provision also exists for a negative leap second that would create a 59-second minute, though this has never occurred in over 40 years. The minute is defined by the second, and as such is equivalent to 551,557,906,200 periods of radiation (or vibrations) of the cesium-133 atom. The prime symbol (′) is sometimes used informally to denote minutes. The term originates from the Latin *pars minuta prima*, meaning "first small part," reflecting the historical sexagesimal division of the hour. The hour was first subdivided into minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths by the scholar Al-Biruni around 1000 CE while studying Jewish months. In 1267, the medieval scientist Roger Bacon described time divisions in Latin as hours, minutes, seconds, thirds, and fourths. The first clock to include a minute hand was made by Jost Bürgi for astronomer Tycho Brahe in 1577. The minute hand became practical for watches only after the invention of the hairspring by Thomas Tompion in 1675. The notation of a prime for minutes and a double prime for seconds visually represents the first and second cuts of the hour, analogous to how a foot is the first cut of a yard.
Reader's Guide
The minute is a fundamental unit of time measurement, standardized as 60 seconds, though the UTC time standard allows for occasional leap seconds that can make a minute 61 seconds long, with a theoretical 59-second minute never having been implemented. Its historical development reflects the sexagesimal system inherited from Babylonian mathematics, formalized by Al-Biruni and later used by medieval scholars like Roger Bacon. The minute's symbol, the prime (′), and the second's double prime (″) visually represent successive divisions of the hour, analogous to feet and inches in length measurement. Today, the minute remains essential in timekeeping, navigation, and scientific contexts, though modern usage typically subdivides seconds decimally rather than using thirds or fourths.
Did You Know?
- The word 'minute' comes from the Latin 'pars minuta prima,' meaning 'first small part.'
- A negative leap second, which would create a 59-second minute, has never occurred in more than 40 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a minute in units of time?
A minute is a standard unit of time equal to exactly 60 seconds. It sits between the second and the hour in the base-60 timekeeping system we still use today.
Where does the word 'minute' come from?
The term traces back to the Latin phrase 'pars minuta prima,' which literally means 'first small part.' It originally described the first division of the hour into smaller equal segments.
Can a minute ever have more or fewer than 60 seconds?
Yes—under the UTC standard, a rare leap second can stretch a minute to 61 seconds, and a provision for a 59-second minute also exists. In practice, the 59-second version has never actually been triggered in over four decades.
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