"Middle Ages" inotanga kuoneka muchiLatin muna 1469 se media tempestas kana "mwaka wepakati". Mukushandisa kwekutanga, paive nemisiyano yakawanda, kusanganisira yepakati aevum, kana "yepakati zera", yakatanga kunyorwa muna 1604, uye media saecula, kana "yepakati zera", yakatanga kunyorwa muna 1625. Chirevo "yepakati" (kana dzimwe nguva "yepakati" kana "mediæval"), chinoreva nezveMiddle Ages, chinobva kune yepakati zera. Vanyori veMiddle Ages vakakamura nhoroondo se "Six Ages" kana "Four Empires", uye vakafunga kuti nguva yavo yaive pamberi peConstantinite nyika yechinyakare (1859) kana kuti "Middle Ages" inotanga muna 1485 kana kuti "Middle Ages" kana kuti "Middle Ages", yakatanga kunyorwa muzvinyorwa zvepakati nepakati, uye dzimwe nguva ichishandiswa nevanonyora vechirungu se "Christian" kana kuti "Christian" nguva yekupedzisira yepakati pezana ramakore rechi15, kana kuti "Christian" nguva
makore epakati nepakati