[Bell Historians] Clock = Klok = Bell

[Anne Willis]

>...THE WORD DIAL - MORE DATES

>The OED asserts that the first known use of the word sundial was in
>1599, long after mechanical clocks had been invented. Before then,
>the word dial was used, unqualified by the prefix sun. Again quoting
>the OED, this word is presumably a derivative of the Latin dies, a
>day. The shadow on a sundial goes round once per day.

>Intriguingly, the word dial also appeared surprisingly late, even
>in the sense of sundial. The OED gives 1430 as its first reference.
>This is some while after mechanical clocks appeared and many, many
>centuries after dials (as sundials) were in common use.

>the first use of the English word hour as 1250.

>Frank H. King


The churchwardens at Holy Trinity, Bradford on Avon, were using the word
'dial' in the mid 18th century.  The dial concerned was on top of the south
porch and you can see it on various drawings of the church.

Anne