John Carmichael wrote: > > Hi everyone: > > I'm sure that many of us make the mistake of using the terms "gnomon" and > "style" as if they meant the same thing; I know I do. Both Waugh and Mayall > define style as the edge of the gnomon which casts the shadow by which the > time is measured. If the gnomon is a solid triangle on a horizontal dial, > then this definition is clear. But in the case of sundials which use > strings, cables, rods, or pipes, wouldn't the gnomon be the SAME as the > style because the center of the whole shadow is used to tell time, and not > just the edge? > > Should I refer to the cable of my sundials as a gnomon or style or both? > > Thanks, > > John Carmichael > http://www.azstarnet.com/~pappas > > p.s. I've noticed that some people spell style as "stile". Which is the > prefered spelling?
Hello John, I would like to give my opinion to the use of the words "gnomon" and "style". The science of sundials is known as gnomonics. That word is derived from the word gnomon and the word is many centuries old. At that time, long ago, a gnomon was a pin of which the endpoint was used as the shadow casting point. Antique sundials have such a gnomon. Also an obelisk as in the dial of emperror August is such a gnomon. Some centuries later the "modern" sundial with a shadow caster parallel to the earth's axis was develloped. This shadowcaster points to the pole, North or Southn, and the word "polestyle" was used for it. And the projection of the polestyle, perpendicular to the sundials face is known as the substyle. I try to be consequent in using these 2 words for their original meaning. A gnomon to my opinion is a pin, most of the time perpendicular to the sundials face, and only the endpoint of it is used as the shadow caster. A style is parallel to the earth axis and the entire line of shadow of the style is used to read the dial. Such a style can be a rod or string or an edge of a body. On many dials a triangle is made and placed on the substyle. In English this triangle is called "gnomon". The word gnomon has got a complete new meaning. I think it would be better to call that triangle the "shadow triangle". See also what Cousins write about this problem in his book "Sundials", page 86. He introduces the words Style and Substyle as I meant and for the third side of the triangle he useses the word "perpendicular style". So to my opinion the cables on your sundials are styles. Another example of changing in the meaning of a word in English is "analemma". The word was already in use by Vitruv, centuries ago, but nowadys in English the curve for the equation of time is called an analemma. Again I try to be consequent and I won't use the word analemma for the EoT curve. I would like any comment to my opinion and I wish you all happy dialling. Well, -- Fer J. de Vries [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.iaehv.nl/users/ferdv/ lat. 51:30 N long. 5:30 E
