a.m.

The 12-hour clock is a time convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods: a.m. (from Latin ante meridiem, translating to before midday) and p.m. (from Latin post meridiem translating to after midday).[1][2] Each period consists of 12 hours numbered: 12 (acting as zero),[3] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. The 24 hour/day cycle starts at 12 midnight (usually indicated as 12 a.m.), runs through 12 noon (usually indicated as 12 p.m.), and continues just before midnight at the end of the day. The 12-hour clock was developed from the middle of the second millennium BC to the 16th century AD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-hour_clock