Where does “dial” come from?
Dial comes from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin dialis, derived from dies meaning "day," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dyew-.
dial (English): A graduated, circular scale over which a needle...
Definitions
- A graduated, circular scale over which a needle...
Ancestry of “dial”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | diall | A pointer on a dial; A timekeeping instrument,... |
| 2 | Middle French | dyal | — |
| 3 | Latin | diālis | Of or belonging to the god Jupiter |
| 4 | Latin | diēs | A day, particularly |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | djēm | accusative singular of *djous |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *djous | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dyḗws | sky, heaven; sky god |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dyéws | sky, heaven |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |