different between deiseal vs withershins

English

Alternative forms

• deisal
• deasil
• deisul
• deshil

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish deiseal, from Old Irish dessel, from dess (“right, south”) + sel (“turn”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dj???l/, /?d????l/, /?d???l/, /?d?s?l/

Noun

deiseal (plural deiseals)

1. Motion towards the right, in the direction of the hands of a clock or of the apparent motion of the sun (in the northern hemisphere); a turning in this direction.

Adverb

deiseal (not comparable)

1. Clockwise; sunwise.
   • 1922 James Joyce, Ulysses 366:

     Deshil Holles Eamus.

   • 1946, T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin (1946), pp. 296-297.

     In the eyes of our early forefathers the daily course of the Sun, bringing about the alternation of light and darkness and the regular succession of the seasons, was the most striking example that man had of that divine order of the universe which served as a model for order and justice in terrestrial affairs. Hence to go dessel or righthandwise, thus imitiating the course of the sun, was not only the right way to make a journey, but was likewise beneficial in other affairs of life, and was likely to lead to a prosperous result; whereas to go in the contrary direction (tuaithbel) would be a violation of the established order and would lead to harm.

Synonyms

• clockwise
• sunwise
• righthandwise

Antonyms

• widdershins
• withershins
• tuaithbel

Interjection

deiseal

1. A deprecation meaning May it go right, said to someone who sneezes or swallows something awry.
   • 1794 Statistical Account of Scotland: Perthshire 11.521:

     If a person's meat or drink were to […] come against his breath, they instantly cry out, Deisheal! which is an ejaculation praying that it may go the right way.

See also

• gesundheit
• bless you
• God bless you

Noun

deiseal

1. Alternative form of deasil
   • 1814 Walter Scott, Waverley 24:

     The surgeon […] perambulated his couch three times, moving from east to west, according to the course of the sun […] which was called making the deasil.

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “deiseal”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “dessel”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Anagrams

• Adelies, aediles, dealies, ædiles

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish dessel, from dess (“right, south”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d????l?/

Adverb

deiseal

1. Righthandwise; clockwise; sunwise

Antonyms

• tuathal
• tuaithbel

Noun

deiseal m (genitive singular deisil)

1. Right-hand side (any absolute geographic location on the right, as one faces the rising sun)
2. The direction of the sun (from east to west)

Usage notes

As an attributive (in the genitive case), this takes on the meaning right (as opposed to 'left'):

Declension

Interjection

deiseal!

1. Bless you!

Mutation

English

Alternative forms

• widdershins
• widdersins

Etymology

From wither- +? shins, sins, alteration of withersuns (“contrary to the sun's course”, literally “against the sun's”), modelled after Middle Low German weddersins, weddersinnes (“in the opposite direction”), from Middle High German widdersinnes (“in the opposite direction”, literally “contrary to reason”), from wider (“opposite”) + sinnes, genitive of sin (“course”). Compare also Old English wiþers?enes (“backwards, withershins”), Icelandic viðer (“against”), Danish veder, Swedish veder. More at wither, sense.

Adverb

withershins (not comparable)

1. Anti-clockwise, in the contrary direction, especially to the left or opposite to the direction of the sun.

Antonyms

• deiseal