The story
- Proto-Indo-European*dyew-
- Proto-Indo-European*dyḗws
- Proto-Italic*djous
- Latindiēs
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Latindiālis
- Middle Frenchdya
- Middle Englishdiall
- English todaydial
The original meaning was 'sundial' and/or 'clock dial'; from Middle English diall, from Middle French dyal, from Latin diālis (“daily, concerning the day”), because of its use in telling the time of day, from Latin diēs (“day”). Compare Spanish dial and día (“day”).
Words from the same roots
Latindiēs all →
dietdiessojourndieldies infaustus
First known use, by meaning
- from 19th c. A person's face.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.