Editing Solstice (section)

== Etymology==
The word ''solstice'' is derived from the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|sol}} ({{gloss|sun}}) and {{lang|la|sistere}} ({{gloss|to stand still}}), because at the solstices, the Sun's [[declination]] appears to "stand still"; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's [[sun path|daily path]] (as seen from [[Earth]]) pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

''Solstice'' first entered into English in the [[Middle English]] period.<ref>{{cite web |title=solstice |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/solstice_n?tab=factsheet#21683609 |website=OED |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref> An older term in English is its [[calque]] ''sunstead'' ({{langx|ang|sunstede}}), which became rare after the 17th century. ''Sunstead'' is cognate with other terms with the same meaning in other [[Germanic language]] such as {{langx|non|sólstaðr}} and {{langx|gmh|sunnenstat}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=sunstead |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/sunstead_n?tab=meaning_and_use |website=OED |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref> A similar English calque of the Latin term is ''sunstay'' which was first used in the 16th century and is now also rare.<ref>{{cite web |title=sunstay |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/sunstay_n?tab=factsheet#19993600 |website=OED |access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>