dial
DY-uhl · noun
LatinMiddle FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish
Origin
English dial comes from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis, meaning 'daily, concerning the day.' That Latin word traces back to diēs, 'day.'
Journey
The word first named a sundial and then a clock dial, both instruments built to mark the passage of a day into hours.
Related words
Dial shares its root with Spanish día and dial, both descending from the same Latin diēs, 'day.'