English
gnomon
Gnomon may come from French gnomon.
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgnomonuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1659same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgnomonuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1659same form
Earliest quotation: 1659, Joseph Moxon, Cœlestial and Terrestrial. In Six Books. […]: “This muſt be performed by help of a Spherick…”
The story
The geometry sense (sense 4) is from the resemblance of the plane figure to a carpenter’s square. Similarly, a gnomon in mathematics (sense 5) is also shaped like a carpenter’s square when depicted pictorially if the figurate numbers are squares.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to know’
can, could, know, note, notice, narrative, glory, recognize, ken, recognition, keen, ignore, noble, con, cognitive, notion, ignorant, notorious, diagnostic, cunning, nobility, quaint, narration, notation, norma, notoriety, cognition, prognosis, canny, incognito, notary, agnostic, connoisseur, uncouth, canna, kith, recognizance, annotate, cognizance, cun, 88 more
through Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω ‘to be aware of’
through Ancient Greek γνώμων ‘discerner, interpreter’
Today it means
noun An object such as a pillar or a rod that is used to tell time by the shadow it casts when the sun shines on it, especially the pointer on a sundial.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / French gnomon / gnomon