Hey, ever thought about the history and origin of the word “clock“?
Well, we sure have…but then again, for us at OnlineClock.net, clocks are our business…and our life, so to speak. So we’ve been thinking about this issue for a long time and have finally decided to write a blog post showing the results of our research into the subject.
As the famous fiction and philosophy author C.S Lewis wrote in his book, “Studies In Words,” knowing the meaning and history of a word is very important. He stated “Knowledge is necessary. Intelligence and sensibility by themselves are not enough.” So our blog post today will look at the history and meaning of the word “clock” and similar related words in English and in other languages that influenced the definition that “clock” has today.
Records show that the word “clock” was most likely derived from the Middle Dutch word “clocke.” An etymology and word origin list from Rice University states that the word “clocke” was used to describe the noise-making bell in the church tower and is literally defined as “bell, clock.”
From the description in the definition, it seems the bell in the Dutch church towers made a lower “bong” kind of noise instead of the high-pitched clanging that is most commonly associated with church tower bells. Also noted from the definition description, it appears that the word “clocke” was formulated before clocks with faces had emerged. The description states that later a “newfangled timekeeper” with a rounded face and hands was added to the church tower.
“Clocke” was the original word, but when the English citizens imported the timepieces, they shortened the name to “clock.” Differences in the English and Dutch language affecting this issue were that the Dutch language had one word that meant both “bell” and “clock,” while the English language developed separate words. One English word meant “clock” specifically and one meant “bell,” so as not to cause confusion between the two and provide a distinction between a ringing bell and a clock with a face.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word “clock” originated in the late 14th century. This time line matches well with the above reference because clocks in this era were not the typical face clocks that displayed the time, featuring a face and hands.
The Anderson Institute reports that during the 14th century time period, the clocks used then are now referred to as turret clocks. Turret clocks were devices powered by a verge escapement, weights and chains. The bell clock was then placed in the bell tower to chime the passing hours. The chains had to be wound and would often lose balance, resulting in the hours being tolled late or early; these clocks were certainly not very accurate!
One of the world's oldest Turret Clocks, the Salisbury Cathedral Clock in England dates back to 1386 ! It actually had no clock face at all.
One of the oldest turret clocks, the oldest surviving one, exists today in England and dates back to 1386. Located in the Salisbury Cathedral, this clock only tolls the hours. In clock history, these beginning devices were the predecessor of larger wall clocks with faces that had similar functions and structure.
Of course the word “clocke” also had its influence from other words in other foreign languages.
In the previously referenced dictionary report from Rice University, the Middle Dutch word “clocke” originated from the Old French word “cloche,” meaning “clock bell.” This Old French word’s origin influence came from the Late Latin term “clocca,” which indicated a sound that imitated a bell.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it is believed that the word “clocca” was in turn derived from the Old Irish and Celtic word “clocc.”
It is possible that the Irish missionaries spread the use of the word “clocc“. The English language then adopted the word from the Middle Dutch “clocke,” modifying it to “clock,” for the first time meaning only the timepiece and not including a bell in its definition.
In the following chart, OnlineClock.net will attempt to sum up the History of the Word Clock into a single, easy to understand table:
| Origin | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old Irish / Celtic | Clocc | Alarm bell |
| ==> | ||
| Late Latin | Clocca | Sound of a clock |
| ==> | ||
| Old French | Cloche | Clock bell |
| ==> | ||
| Middle Dutch | Clocke | Bell, clock |
| ==> | ||
| English | Clock | Clock (just clock, not including bell) |
The term “bell” in the English language had origins in Proto-German. The word was used to replace the Old English word “dægmæl,” which meant “day measure” or “day mark;” essentially, the marking of the day. A similar word to this in the Latin language was “horologium,” of which the Greek term “hora” teamed with the ending “logy.” This ending in Greek is used to refer to a science, lecture, study or theory, among other examples. This is where the modern English term “horology” comes from. Horology was first documented as an English word in 1819.
As all clock enthusiasts should know (and this means you, Clock Fans!), horology is the science of measuring time.
The English language has a few other references of the word “clock” that have interesting origins.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term “o’clock” was used to shorten the phrase “of the clock.”
The term “of the clock” had been used before this point to refer to time on a clock face.
Fighter pilot: enemies at five and seven o'clock!
Originating in 1904, the term “o’clock” was used by fighter pilots and shooters to reference directions. People can still be heard using this reference today. For example, if a man sees one of his enemies, he may whisper to his friend “Enemy at three o’clock,” referencing the position of the person from their location.
Also noted in the Etymology Dictionary is the origin of the term “clockwork.” Originated from the English language, this word emerged in the 1660s, meaning “mechanism of a clock.” The old French term “cloque” that had a part in the evolution of the word “clock” mostly indicated a bell sound. From the word “cloque,” the similar English word “cloak” emerged, created to describe the bell shape of a cloak garment. Another commonly-used term, “clockwise,” was born in 1879, used to describe the direction in which the hands traveled around the face of a clock. The term “clock” was paired with the word “wise,” meaning “the way of proceeding.” When combined, the meaning of “clockwise” is “the way the clock proceeds.”
Many terms related to time, clocks and watches have an extensive history, some dating back to the time of the ancient Egyptian water clocks.
As time continues to march on, more words with “clock” or “watch” in them will emerge, especially as technology continues to advance. We at OnlineClock.net eagerly await the day when Online Alarm Clock is recognized as a dictionary term…especially since we were the world’s first online alarm clock website.
100 years ago, for instance, the term “clock radio” or “cell phone clock” would not appear in a dictionary. Learning the etymology of terms related to time-telling will make the world of horology easier for everyone to understand.
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