'almacantar' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'al-muqantarāt,' where 'al-' meant 'the' and 'muqantarāt' referred to 'circles of equal altitude.'

'al-muqantarāt' transformed into the medieval Latin word 'almacantara,' and eventually became the modern English word 'almacantar.'

Initially, it meant 'circles of equal altitude,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.