# What were "Clockwise" and "Counter-Clockwise" before clocks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119 "2003-11-13T22:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/21 "2003-11-14T20:05:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by madline \* > \*\*“Widdershins” is also known as “tuathal”. (sp?) \*\* Which would seem to link up with the “taken by the fairies” aspects in the old stories. (Supposing of course this term is related to the Tuatha na Danaan(sp?)) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/22 "2003-11-14T22:00:29Z")
Turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/23 "2003-11-15T22:41:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Blake - - the clock turns deosil. Even if you lay the clock face side down on the floor. Unless, of course, it’s transparent. Nope. As the clock sits on my north wall or lays on the floor the hands turn east at the top of the cycle. As it sits on my southern wall or is nailed to the ceiling the hands turn west at the top of the cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/24 "2003-11-16T06:07:28Z")
Sundial shadows turn clockwise in the northern hemisphere. That’s the whole story. What they called it before is anyone’s guess, I think. ---
**Author:** ![presidebt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@presidebt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/presidebt)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/25 "2003-11-16T06:31:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\*Howbout “pass the pipe to your left” and “pass the pipe to your right?” > > Surely, smoking circles are older than clocks… \*\* No, no, no. The etiquette is _pass the dutchie on the left-hand side._ Hehe. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/26 "2003-11-16T07:46:36Z")
“Deosil” and “deasil” do not obey the rules of spelling in Scottish. According to my Gaelic dictionary, the word is **deiseal** which translates as southward, lucky, ready, or _turning from east to west in the direction of the sun_. Tuathal is the correct spelling and translates as contrary to the course of the sun. I am not able to find Danaan or any similar word in the dictionary. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/27 "2003-11-16T10:46:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cityboy916 \* > **I am not able to find Danaan or any similar word in the dictionary.** Well, you won’t, because it isn’t a “word” per se. It’s the genitive form of the name Dana or Danu, an ancient Celtic goddess. _Tuatha_ means “tribe” and would seem to be unrelated, or only coincidentally related, to _tuathal_ meaning “towards the left”. I don’t know the origin of _withershins_ but I don’t think it comes from any Gaelic language. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119/28 "2003-11-16T12:33:24Z")
“Dextral” means clockwise and “sinestral” means counterclockwise - but I don’t know if the terms are older than clocks. They derive from the Latin “dexter” = right and “sinister” = left. They are used, for example, to describe the helices in sea shells. The numeral 6 is a dextral spiral and the Greek rho is a sinestral spiral. This is from memory - forgive any spelling errors or, heaven forbid, confusion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-clockwise-and-counter-clockwise-before-clocks/213119.md?page=1)