What two primary concepts govern the core argument over defining the meal *breakfast*?
Sequence and time slot
The central conflict surrounding the naming of the first meal revolves around two competing frameworks for categorization. The first framework is based on **sequence**, defining breakfast as the very first item consumed after waking, thereby conceptually breaking the overnight fast. The second framework is based on the **time slot**, which anchors the definition to convention, typically associating breakfast with the morning hours, often before midday. The ongoing debate pits the individual's chronological order of eating (sequence) against the shared societal rhythm and expectation associated with a specific part of the day (time slot). This tension is what fuels linguistic contention regarding whether a 4:00 PM first meal is functionally breakfast or conceptually a late lunch.
