Weird how it's a word I use multiple times every day but it wasn't until yesterday that i found out what it actually means and why we say it.
The word is o'Clock and apparently it has nothing to do with the dial or ticking hands part of the clock to start with, it was the bell that told us what time it was.
According to a time historian, when mechanical clocks replaced sundials around the 1300's, they were named Clocc's from the Old French word for Bell as it was this which told them the time, ringing out on the hour alerting townsfolk so six chimes would mean it was six of the clocc, later Clock as the English bastardised the French word.
Over time the 'of the clock' part got shortened to 'O'Clock' and was cemented into the language in the 16th Century by Shakespeare in his plays and 'o'Clock' quickly replaced the longer phrase and so today we use a 14th-century word which means something different to what it does now which made me wonder, any other words from then we still use which actually mean something else?
According to Medievalists.net, there are plenty such as 'silly' which started out meaning 'blessed' or 'fortunate' and nice which was used to mean someone who was foolish or stupid, a villain was a farm worker and Hell was just a place with a cover over it while all females were wives regardless of marital status and Meat was any type of food.
If we ever manage to go time travelling, the 14th Century would be a minefield and it would probably be best just to stay quiet as telling someone to have a nice day could see you in the stocks with all types of rotten meat being thrown at you.
Sunday, 30 August 2026
What's The Time Villain?
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