Etymology

sundial

S1U1N1D2I1A1L1

Today it means: A device measuring the time of day by the position of a shadow cast by a pole or plate (gnomon) upon an engraved series of marks. Full definition →

English dial ← Middle English diall ← Middle French dya
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sóh₂wl̥
  2. Proto-Germanic*sunnô
  3. Proto-Germanic*sunnǭ
  4. Proto-West Germanic*sunnā
  5. Old Englishsunne
  6. Middle Englishsonne
  7. Englishsun
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dyew-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dyḗws
  10. Proto-Italic*djous
  11. Latindiēs
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  14. Latindiālis
  15. Middle Frenchdya
  16. Middle Englishdiall
  17. Englishdial
  18. English todaysundial

From sun + dial, a clarification of dial after it was used for other objects as well.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.