In English, before clocks were commonplace, the word "clockwise" was obviously
not in common use. Instead, the closest alternative to "clockwise" was the
now-archaic word "deasil", and its antonym was "widdershins" (or, perhaps,
people just used "right" and "left"; see also: [What did we say before
“clockwise”?](https://english.stackexchange.com/q/72054/43004) on English.SE).

The Japanese word for "clockwise" - 時計回り - also involves clocks. What was the
Japanese word for 時計回り before 時計 became commonplace? I see that 右回り is given
as a synonym/definition for 時計回り in some dictionaries; is this what was most
commonly used in olden times?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-16T16:15:28.157
21325
2015-02-21T16:26:20.537
2017-04-13T12:38:10.367
-1
3437
question
words
What was the Japanese word for "clockwise" (時計回り) before clocks were commonplace?
According to this source
<http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q114784381> , the
term 時計回り was also used with sundials, and though the length and time of
sunlight varied with seasons, the direction didn't, so 「時計回り」was always in
use.

This link <http://kids.gakken.co.jp/box/nazenani/pdf/12_kikai/X1130042.pdf>
presents the other versions 「右回りと左回り」.Clockwise is 右回り.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-17T18:41:53.100
21340
2015-01-17T18:56:19.350
2015-01-17T18:56:19.350
7576
7576
21325
answer
The content below is an exact copy of [a deleted
answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/21341/3437) by [user
l'electeur](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/users/4032/l%C3%A9lecteur).

* * *

Noun: [右]{みぎ}ま **は** り

Verb: 右へま **は** る

は ＞ わ back then.

Even today, 「右ま **わ** り」（は changed to わ over time） is a far more intuitive
word than 「[時計回]{とけいまわ}り」 for native speakers. The only time I myself used
「時計回り」 and 「[反]{はん}時計回り = "CCW"」 often in my life was when I was working for a
machine manufacturer. Even then, I was using 「右まわり」 and 「[左]{ひだり}まわり」 outside
of work.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-22T15:52:30.410
21406
2015-01-22T15:52:30.410
2017-04-13T12:43:44.207
-1
3437
21325
answer