Nomenclature
Dear all who say ‘minutes hand’ and ‘seconds hand’,
The terms stem from the Latin ‘pars minuta prima’ (first small part), which was used by Ptolemy for one-sixtieth of a circle and later for one-sixtieth of an hour; with the next divide being called the ‘secunda minuta’ (second small part).
So the correct nomenclature is therefore ‘minute hand’, as it describes the ‘minuta prima’ (the first small division); and ‘second hand’, as it describes the second level of division.
These terms do not need to be pluralised.
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I’ve been collecting for a few years. I try to stick to the mantra of buying watches I like and not following trends. I’ve definitely made some mistakes but I try to learn from them.
London
Member since
Last active: 23 min ago
6.50” / 16.51 cm
Interesting! Thanks for sharing! 👍
When I was in school, we had cardboard clock teaching aids that really confused me. The hour hand on these were shorter, but very wide, and the minute hand was longer, but quite thin. When the teacher referred to the "big hand", many of us kids thought she meant the fatter hour hand, and the "little hand" meant the skinny minute hand. So we were very confused.
But second hand means used...
Learned something new today.
Thanks
First class pedantry if ever I read. Moaning simply because people incorrectly add an, “s”, to the end of a word 🙄 Give it 100 years or so & that will be considered normal.
First class pedantry if ever I read. Moaning simply because people incorrectly add an, “s”, to the end of a word 🙄 Give it 100 years or so & that will be considered normal.
It already is normal, no?
Now do lume/loom & deployant/deployment.
When I was in school, we had cardboard clock teaching aids that really confused me. The hour hand on these were shorter, but very wide, and the minute hand was longer, but quite thin. When the teacher referred to the "big hand", many of us kids thought she meant the fatter hour hand, and the "little hand" meant the skinny minute hand. So we were very confused.
Yeah, I would have been confused as well.
Why didn't they just say minute or hour hand? Too difficult for our minds to associate minute & hour to the right concept?
I've never heard it pluralised. That's just weird. Next thing they'll be adding an 's' to Lego.
Yeah, I would have been confused as well.
Why didn't they just say minute or hour hand? Too difficult for our minds to associate minute & hour to the right concept?
I also learned with "small hand" and "big hand", it's a very simple way to describe it to a child.
I don't think they teach reading clocks up here in school anymore.
Yeah, I would have been confused as well.
Why didn't they just say minute or hour hand? Too difficult for our minds to associate minute & hour to the right concept?
This was probably kindergarten, so the first experience with reading clocks for most kids. It would've been okay if the hands weren't ambiguously shaped. But very frustrating to keep unexpectedly getting answers wrong because of nomenclature confusion.
I don't think I've ever heard it pluralized, or perhaps I have and I've never noticed. I shall be listening for it from now on.
Ps. I think your Latin may be wrong.
It should actually read 'partes minutae primae' meaning 'the first minute parts' which incidentally happens to be plural as there are more than one part.🤣 And I'm more confused than I was when this discussion started.
Rather than 'pars minuta prima' which is a Corsican proverb that means 'leave a minute earlier.'
I don't think I've ever heard it pluralized, or perhaps I have and I've never noticed. I shall be listening for it from now on.
Ps. I think your Latin may be wrong.
It should actually read 'partes minutae primae' meaning 'the first minute parts' which incidentally happens to be plural as there are more than one part.🤣 And I'm more confused than I was when this discussion started.
Rather than 'pars minuta prima' which is a Corsican proverb that means 'leave a minute earlier.'
Mainly Americans to be honest.
If you follow any US watch YouTubers, you’ll hear it.
Mainly Americans to be honest.
If you follow any US watch YouTubers, you’ll hear it.
Of course, that makes sense, American English is a very different language. I actually don't watch YouTube videos or reviews, I prefer to read articles and look at still images.
It already is normal, no?
I suppose it depends on what country you’re in? In my corner of England I don’t feel as though it’s normal.
When I hear people adding a, “x”, to, “espresso”, or a, “t”, at the end of, “across”, I roll my eyes. Language is dynamic & often intertwined with certain class archetypes. It’s not worth worrying about. We will all be speaking a bastardised version of Chinese in a few hundred years.
ATM machine......🤔😅
Greeks didn't speak Latin, did they? I thovght they spoke Greek. I may be too dvmb for this forvm.
Bugger, "hoist by my own petard" 🤣
The watchfam is really a weird one. Incredible how easily readers can be triggered by the most mundane posts.
First class pedantry if ever I read. Moaning simply because people incorrectly add an, “s”, to the end of a word 🙄 Give it 100 years or so & that will be considered normal.
We have a hobby that is fascinated by a 1mm change in case size. Pedantry is an essential part of our community!
I've never heard it pluralised. That's just weird. Next thing they'll be adding an 's' to Lego.
God, it’s annoying when they do that.
ATM machine......🤔😅
I wish I could use the ATM machine but I forgot my PIN number.
Incredible! 😳
We have a hobby that is fascinated by a 1mm change in case size. Pedantry is an essential part of our community!
Not true. “Influencers”, are obsessed for content reasons & sicophatic sheeple follow.
We have a hobby that is fascinated by a 1mm change in case size. Pedantry is an essential part of our community!
You are kind of new here, you may not have heard that pedantry is my gig.
I wish I could use the ATM machine but I forgot my PIN number.
I’m winning in RBIs this week for my fantasy team.
I wish I could use the ATM machine but I forgot my PIN number.
Paddy field
I don't think I've ever heard it pluralized, or perhaps I have and I've never noticed. I shall be listening for it from now on.
Ps. I think your Latin may be wrong.
It should actually read 'partes minutae primae' meaning 'the first minute parts' which incidentally happens to be plural as there are more than one part.🤣 And I'm more confused than I was when this discussion started.
Rather than 'pars minuta prima' which is a Corsican proverb that means 'leave a minute earlier.'
I believe it’s Medieval Latin.
> https://www.etymonline.com/word/minute#etymonline_v_16220
From the textbook, The Watch Repairer’s Manual by Henry B. Fried, 1961; hour hand, Minute hand, Seconds hand. Also, back cover is absolutely correct term and apparently “case back” was just becoming an acceptable term instead of the standard that it is today.
From the textbook, The Watch Repairer’s Manual by Henry B. Fried, 1961; hour hand, Minute hand, Seconds hand. Also, back cover is absolutely correct term and apparently “case back” was just becoming an acceptable term instead of the standard that it is today.
That would be the American, Mr H B Fried.
I have wondered if it’s plural or singular many times. I finally know now… thank you!