An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The angle between a perpendicular at a location, and the → equatorial plane of the Earth. → longitude. See also:
→ astronomical latitude, → celestial latitude, → circle of latitude, → colatitude, → ecliptic latitude, → Galactic latitude, → geocentric latitude, → geodetic latitude, → geographic latitude, → high latitudes, → horse latitudes, → middle latitudes, → spherical latitude, → supergalactic latitude.

Etymology (EN): L. latitudo “breadth, width, size,” from latus “wide,” from PIE base *stela- “to spread” (cf. O.C.S. steljo “to spread out,” Arm. lain “broad”).

Etymology (PE): Varunâ, from var “breadth, side, breast,” variant bar, Tabari vari “width,” Mid.Pers. var “breast,” Av. varah- “breast”
(Sk. vara- “width, breadth”) + -u a suffix forming adjectives;
Av. vouru- “wide;” + -nâ a suffix of dimension.