Word origin · etymology
Arabic through Medieval Latin.
Arabic al-sumut, directions or ways, plural of al-samt, passed through Medieval Latin azimut into English.
How we know · epistemology
Local observational geometry
The bearing depends on the observer, instant and zero-direction convention. North-based and south-based systems can disagree numerically while describing the same direction; at the zenith a unique azimuth is undefined.
Connected concepts
Terms used in this explanation
These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.
Sources & provenance
Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.