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Was there an alternative adjective to "clockwise" other than "the rotation you take around left hand"?

Also, how did all watch companies around the world agree on what the direction of "clockwise" is?

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[-] Disregard3145@lemmy.world 92 points 1 year ago

Turnwise and widdershins. I read it in a book once.

[-] red@feddit.de 77 points 1 year ago

Sunwise, as it was based on the movement of the sun during day (in the Northern hemisphere). As watch faces were modelled after sundials, sunwise and clockwise describe the same direction.

Turnwise is a word invented by Pratchett for a book, but it's clearly based on sunwise. He also used widdershins in his book, which is indeed the unmodified antonym to sunwise.

[-] megasin1@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago

Not just any book. The discworld series. It's the direction the disc rotates! He has so many easy to miss spots of genius. Amongst many easy to see spots of genius

[-] Brainsploosh@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Does the sun rotate with the disc, and faster?

Wouldn't sunwise and turnwise be in opposite directions otherwise?

[-] megasin1@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

The sun rotates around the disc too one of the elephants has to cock its leg every day

[-] butterypowered@feddit.uk 18 points 1 year ago

I have found my people.

[-] GreatFord@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago

Deosil (sunwise) was the opposite of widdershins (against the usual). Both had a wide range of uses too, not just directionality.

[-] xpinchx@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Was it Name of the Wind or Wise Man's Fear? I just read both of those and I remember looking up one of the words and going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

[-] Mugmoor@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago

No, those words don't appear in those books. He's referring to Discworld by Terry Pratchett.

[-] xpinchx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Well shit... those are the only two books that I read recently, maybe a similar word.... I left my kindle at home today I know that keeps track of words I've looked up and now I'm curious

this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2023
323 points (100.0% liked)

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