The first mishnah in the fourth chapter of Berachot reads:

תפילת השחר עד חצות ... תפילת המנחה עד הערב ... תפילת הערב אין לה קבע

The morning prayer may be recite until midday ... The afternoon prayer may be recited until evening ... The evening prayer has no fixed time.

The names given for the afternoon and evening prayers refer to the time of day when they are recited - שחר means morning and ערב means evening.

But the word minchah seems to have nothing to do with the time of day. The word seems to mean 'gift', and is also the generic name for grain-based offerings.

So why is the afternoon prayer referred to in this way? Why not call it, say, tzahorayim?

The first mishnah in the fourth chapter of Berachot reads:

תפילת השחר עד חצות ... תפילת המנחה עד הערב ... תפילת הערב אין לה קבע

The morning prayer may be recited until midday ... The afternoon prayer may be recited until evening ... The evening prayer has no fixed time.

The names given for the morning and evening prayers refer to the time of day when they are recited - שחר means morning and ערב means evening.

But the word minchah seems to have nothing to do with the time of day. The word seems to mean 'gift', and is also the generic name for grain-based offerings.

So why is the afternoon prayer referred to in this way? Why not call it, say, tzahorayim?