mid-afternoon

The word 'mid-afternoon' is a transparent English compound formed in the modern era. Its first element, 'mid,' descends directly from the Proto-Germanic midja- and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European medhyo-, meaning "middle." The second element, 'afternoon,' is itself an Old English compound of æfter (after) and nōn (the ninth hour from sunrise, approximately 3 p.m., which later shifted to mean 12 p.m.). The logic of the compound is purely descriptive, combining the concept of the middle with the defined period after noon to pinpoint a specific time of day. It exemplifies the productive pattern in English of using 'mid-' as a prefix to denote the central part of a time span or object.

Structure: mid (middle) + afternoon (time of day) - mid: From Old English midd, meaning "middle." It functions as a combining form to indicate the central point or period of something. - afternoon: From Old English æfternōn, a compound of æfter (after) and nōn (noon). It functions as a noun specifying the time period from noon until evening.