Meaning of cardinal directions (what they are, concept and definition)

What are Cardinal Points:

Cardinal points refers to the four senses or directions that allow a person to orient himself in space. These directions or directions are North, South, East and West.

The function of the cardinal points is to establish a minimum of conventional references that allow the traveler to orient himself on the earth's surface or in the interpretation of a map.

Its name derives from the Latin term cardo , commonly used in the Roman Empire to designate the main street of the cities, which was drawn from north to south.

The north is the cardinal point par excellence, since the other points are drawn from it. That is, the traveler is always oriented according to the location of the north, which allows him to identify the other cardinal points.

The compass was designed to facilitate the orientation of explorers by means of a magnetized needle that indicates the Earth's magnetic north. Today there are other types of compass.

Ancient nomenclature of the cardinal points

The names that today receive the cardinal points are of Germanic origin, and their incorporation into Spanish is relatively recent.

Actually, the cardinal points were established based on the position of the sun. From the observation of the solar orbit, it is that the ancients achieved a reference system that could be understood by all.

In the Spanish language, before the Germanic nomenclature came into force, the names of the cardinal points evoked these solar positions. Let's see it:

• North = North or Boreal. South = South or South. East = East, East or East. West = West or West.

Thus, the term Levante refers to the rising of the sun (sunrise) and the term Poniente will refer to the sunset (sunset).

Secondary or collateral points

There are also secondary or collateral points, which are established based on the cardinal points. They are as follows:

• Northeast (NE) Northwest (NW) Southeast (SE) Southwest (SO)

See also:

• Location.Map.GPS.