Where does “sundial” come from?
sundial (English) comes from English dial, from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis, from Latin diēs, from Proto-Italic djēm, from Proto-Italic *djous, from Proto-Indo-European dyḗws — to be bright; sky, heaven.
sundial (English): A device measuring the time of day by the...
Definitions
- A device measuring the time of day by the...
Ancestry of “sundial”, step by step
sundial traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dial
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dial | A graduated, circular scale over which a needle... |
| 2 | Middle English | diall | A pointer on a dial; A timekeeping instrument,... |
| 3 | Middle French | dyal | — |
| 4 | Latin | diālis | Of or belonging to the god Jupiter |
| 5 | Latin | diēs | A day, particularly |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | djēm | accusative singular of *djous |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *djous | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dyḗws | sky, heaven; sky god |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dyéws | sky, heaven |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dyew- | to be bright; sky, heaven |