A minute is a unit used to measure both time and angles. A circle was divided into 360 degrees by ancient civilizations, probably first, by the Babylonians who figured everything in units of 10’s and 60’s instead of 10’s and 100’s as we do. The degree was divided into 60 parts and each of these parts was divided into 60 parts.
The Romans called the first division of the degree ‘the partes minutae primal’ or the first. The second division they called ‘the partes minutae secundaes’ or second small parts. These terms were finally shortened to minutes and seconds.
|
