How did people refer to clockwise movement before the invention of the clock?
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?
You are viewing a single comment
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.
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
Does the sun rotate with the disc, and faster?
Wouldn't sunwise and turnwise be in opposite directions otherwise?
The sun rotates around the disc too one of the elephants has to cock its leg every day