Curio
Today

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.'

More words

From Middle French

Nearby, A–Z

All words A–Z →