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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 90 points 10 months ago

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

[-] red@feddit.de 77 points 10 months 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 25 points 10 months 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 10 months 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 10 months ago

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

[-] butterypowered@feddit.uk 18 points 10 months ago

I have found my people.

[-] GreatFord@lemm.ee 13 points 10 months 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 10 months 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 10 months ago

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

[-] xpinchx@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months 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
325 points (98.8% liked)

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