Does anyone know what time it is?
In your story, I mean. Do you know what words and phrases people used and, importantly, did not use during that time?
Google knows.
Originally shared by Karen Conlin
I was sure I’d written about this before, but no. So. Google Ngrams is a great, easy-to-use tool for finding the frequency of a word or phrase in printed material. Let’s say you want to know how popular the phrase “try and” is, compared to “try to.” You…
I have seen described a time system where the periods were of variable length depending on time of the year affecting length of daylight. For example “mid morning” is a different absolute time if the sun rose at 5 am than if it rose at 8 am.
I have seen described a time system where the periods were of variable length depending on time of the year affecting length of daylight. For example “mid morning” is a different absolute time if the sun rose at 5 am than if it rose at 8 am.
I have seen described a time system where the periods were of variable length depending on time of the year affecting length of daylight. For example “mid morning” is a different absolute time if the sun rose at 5 am than if it rose at 8 am.
I have seen described a time system where the periods were of variable length depending on time of the year affecting length of daylight. For example “mid morning” is a different absolute time if the sun rose at 5 am than if it rose at 8 am.
I have seen described a time system where the periods were of variable length depending on time of the year affecting length of daylight. For example “mid morning” is a different absolute time if the sun rose at 5 am than if it rose at 8 am.
25 or 6 to 4. 😉
25 or 6 to 4. 😉
25 or 6 to 4. 😉
25 or 6 to 4. 😉
25 or 6 to 4. 😉
When I started reading your post, I thought it was talking about how some authors lose track of basics, like what time of day events are happening, or where people are (how far from something, so how long it takes to get there). I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been reading and I think “how is it night already?” or “how did they get there so quickly?”.
Have to agree on the idea that it’s important to know what time period a story is set, especially if aiming for a degree of historical accuracy. If you set a story in the age of the romans, but have a character talk about “Knights on white horses”, some readers are going to notice and be annoyed. Great to know there’s tools like this.
When I started reading your post, I thought it was talking about how some authors lose track of basics, like what time of day events are happening, or where people are (how far from something, so how long it takes to get there). I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been reading and I think “how is it night already?” or “how did they get there so quickly?”.
Have to agree on the idea that it’s important to know what time period a story is set, especially if aiming for a degree of historical accuracy. If you set a story in the age of the romans, but have a character talk about “Knights on white horses”, some readers are going to notice and be annoyed. Great to know there’s tools like this.
When I started reading your post, I thought it was talking about how some authors lose track of basics, like what time of day events are happening, or where people are (how far from something, so how long it takes to get there). I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been reading and I think “how is it night already?” or “how did they get there so quickly?”.
Have to agree on the idea that it’s important to know what time period a story is set, especially if aiming for a degree of historical accuracy. If you set a story in the age of the romans, but have a character talk about “Knights on white horses”, some readers are going to notice and be annoyed. Great to know there’s tools like this.
When I started reading your post, I thought it was talking about how some authors lose track of basics, like what time of day events are happening, or where people are (how far from something, so how long it takes to get there). I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been reading and I think “how is it night already?” or “how did they get there so quickly?”.
Have to agree on the idea that it’s important to know what time period a story is set, especially if aiming for a degree of historical accuracy. If you set a story in the age of the romans, but have a character talk about “Knights on white horses”, some readers are going to notice and be annoyed. Great to know there’s tools like this.
When I started reading your post, I thought it was talking about how some authors lose track of basics, like what time of day events are happening, or where people are (how far from something, so how long it takes to get there). I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been reading and I think “how is it night already?” or “how did they get there so quickly?”.
Have to agree on the idea that it’s important to know what time period a story is set, especially if aiming for a degree of historical accuracy. If you set a story in the age of the romans, but have a character talk about “Knights on white horses”, some readers are going to notice and be annoyed. Great to know there’s tools like this.
Example: “flavor of the day” is American and dates to the… 60s, I think. I’d have to look. Point is, it’s not good for a steampunk setting, no way, no how.
Example: “flavor of the day” is American and dates to the… 60s, I think. I’d have to look. Point is, it’s not good for a steampunk setting, no way, no how.
Example: “flavor of the day” is American and dates to the… 60s, I think. I’d have to look. Point is, it’s not good for a steampunk setting, no way, no how.
Example: “flavor of the day” is American and dates to the… 60s, I think. I’d have to look. Point is, it’s not good for a steampunk setting, no way, no how.
Example: “flavor of the day” is American and dates to the… 60s, I think. I’d have to look. Point is, it’s not good for a steampunk setting, no way, no how.
Walter Roberson The standard medieval system of canonical hours worked that way. Sext is at noon, Vespers at sunset. Daylight hours were shorter and nighttime hours longer in winter than in summer.
Walter Roberson The standard medieval system of canonical hours worked that way. Sext is at noon, Vespers at sunset. Daylight hours were shorter and nighttime hours longer in winter than in summer.
Walter Roberson The standard medieval system of canonical hours worked that way. Sext is at noon, Vespers at sunset. Daylight hours were shorter and nighttime hours longer in winter than in summer.
Walter Roberson The standard medieval system of canonical hours worked that way. Sext is at noon, Vespers at sunset. Daylight hours were shorter and nighttime hours longer in winter than in summer.
Walter Roberson The standard medieval system of canonical hours worked that way. Sext is at noon, Vespers at sunset. Daylight hours were shorter and nighttime hours longer in winter than in summer.
People who do not have precise control over their lighting tend to be less concerned about precise clock time.
People who do not have precise control over their lighting tend to be less concerned about precise clock time.
People who do not have precise control over their lighting tend to be less concerned about precise clock time.
People who do not have precise control over their lighting tend to be less concerned about precise clock time.
People who do not have precise control over their lighting tend to be less concerned about precise clock time.
Walter Roberson I don’t think town clocks come in until the Renaissance, so it makes sense before that to define time by observable features of the environment, such as sunrise and sunset.
Walter Roberson I don’t think town clocks come in until the Renaissance, so it makes sense before that to define time by observable features of the environment, such as sunrise and sunset.
Walter Roberson I don’t think town clocks come in until the Renaissance, so it makes sense before that to define time by observable features of the environment, such as sunrise and sunset.
Walter Roberson I don’t think town clocks come in until the Renaissance, so it makes sense before that to define time by observable features of the environment, such as sunrise and sunset.
Walter Roberson I don’t think town clocks come in until the Renaissance, so it makes sense before that to define time by observable features of the environment, such as sunrise and sunset.
David Friedman It looks like town clocks have an older history than that, en.wikipedia.org – Clock tower – Wikipedia … where they existed. The precursor to Big Ben is listed at 1282, and Renaissance is said to have started around 1300, so pre-Renaissance you would probably have to justify the exceptional nature of such a town clock, and early Renaissance they might only make sense for more prosperous places.
Before that there are candle clocks first mentioned in the 6th century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock . But those require relatively uniform consistency of wax, and calibration, which would be less likely for rural people who made their own. It is plausible there was a trade in suitable candles, but who would have reason to buy them instead of regular candles? Perhaps priests, certainly astrologers/astronomers/alchemists, plausibly navigation on ships. Various military uses, including plausibly to time standing watch (which even relatively common travelers might have reason to do.) So you could get into situations where they were “common knowledge” and yet not common use.
David Friedman It looks like town clocks have an older history than that, en.wikipedia.org – Clock tower – Wikipedia … where they existed. The precursor to Big Ben is listed at 1282, and Renaissance is said to have started around 1300, so pre-Renaissance you would probably have to justify the exceptional nature of such a town clock, and early Renaissance they might only make sense for more prosperous places.
Before that there are candle clocks first mentioned in the 6th century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock . But those require relatively uniform consistency of wax, and calibration, which would be less likely for rural people who made their own. It is plausible there was a trade in suitable candles, but who would have reason to buy them instead of regular candles? Perhaps priests, certainly astrologers/astronomers/alchemists, plausibly navigation on ships. Various military uses, including plausibly to time standing watch (which even relatively common travelers might have reason to do.) So you could get into situations where they were “common knowledge” and yet not common use.
David Friedman It looks like town clocks have an older history than that, en.wikipedia.org – Clock tower – Wikipedia … where they existed. The precursor to Big Ben is listed at 1282, and Renaissance is said to have started around 1300, so pre-Renaissance you would probably have to justify the exceptional nature of such a town clock, and early Renaissance they might only make sense for more prosperous places.
Before that there are candle clocks first mentioned in the 6th century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock . But those require relatively uniform consistency of wax, and calibration, which would be less likely for rural people who made their own. It is plausible there was a trade in suitable candles, but who would have reason to buy them instead of regular candles? Perhaps priests, certainly astrologers/astronomers/alchemists, plausibly navigation on ships. Various military uses, including plausibly to time standing watch (which even relatively common travelers might have reason to do.) So you could get into situations where they were “common knowledge” and yet not common use.
David Friedman It looks like town clocks have an older history than that, en.wikipedia.org – Clock tower – Wikipedia … where they existed. The precursor to Big Ben is listed at 1282, and Renaissance is said to have started around 1300, so pre-Renaissance you would probably have to justify the exceptional nature of such a town clock, and early Renaissance they might only make sense for more prosperous places.
Before that there are candle clocks first mentioned in the 6th century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock . But those require relatively uniform consistency of wax, and calibration, which would be less likely for rural people who made their own. It is plausible there was a trade in suitable candles, but who would have reason to buy them instead of regular candles? Perhaps priests, certainly astrologers/astronomers/alchemists, plausibly navigation on ships. Various military uses, including plausibly to time standing watch (which even relatively common travelers might have reason to do.) So you could get into situations where they were “common knowledge” and yet not common use.
David Friedman It looks like town clocks have an older history than that, en.wikipedia.org – Clock tower – Wikipedia … where they existed. The precursor to Big Ben is listed at 1282, and Renaissance is said to have started around 1300, so pre-Renaissance you would probably have to justify the exceptional nature of such a town clock, and early Renaissance they might only make sense for more prosperous places.
Before that there are candle clocks first mentioned in the 6th century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock . But those require relatively uniform consistency of wax, and calibration, which would be less likely for rural people who made their own. It is plausible there was a trade in suitable candles, but who would have reason to buy them instead of regular candles? Perhaps priests, certainly astrologers/astronomers/alchemists, plausibly navigation on ships. Various military uses, including plausibly to time standing watch (which even relatively common travelers might have reason to do.) So you could get into situations where they were “common knowledge” and yet not common use.
Walter Roberson Where do you get the 1282 date for the predecessor to Big Ben? I’m not seeing it in the Wiki article you linked to.
Walter Roberson Where do you get the 1282 date for the predecessor to Big Ben? I’m not seeing it in the Wiki article you linked to.
Walter Roberson Where do you get the 1282 date for the predecessor to Big Ben? I’m not seeing it in the Wiki article you linked to.
Walter Roberson Where do you get the 1282 date for the predecessor to Big Ben? I’m not seeing it in the Wiki article you linked to.
Walter Roberson Where do you get the 1282 date for the predecessor to Big Ben? I’m not seeing it in the Wiki article you linked to.
David Friedman Sorry, typo, should have said 1288.
“In England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to Big Ben, at Westminster, in 1288”.
I got the 2 from the sentence after that, the device that went in in 1292.
David Friedman Sorry, typo, should have said 1288.
“In England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to Big Ben, at Westminster, in 1288”.
I got the 2 from the sentence after that, the device that went in in 1292.
David Friedman Sorry, typo, should have said 1288.
“In England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to Big Ben, at Westminster, in 1288”.
I got the 2 from the sentence after that, the device that went in in 1292.
David Friedman Sorry, typo, should have said 1288.
“In England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to Big Ben, at Westminster, in 1288”.
I got the 2 from the sentence after that, the device that went in in 1292.
David Friedman Sorry, typo, should have said 1288.
“In England, a clock was put up in a clock tower, the medieval precursor to Big Ben, at Westminster, in 1288”.
I got the 2 from the sentence after that, the device that went in in 1292.
Walter Roberson David Friedman There’s also the fact that time was much more localised in the past. Two towns, even relatively close together, might use somewhat different time. It wasn’t practical, or even possible, to check what time it was at another location, and adjust your time to match.
It was only when high speed methods of travel became viable that a region needed to have one shared time (that is to say, if your town is 5 minutes behind another town, someone’s going to miss their train). Inventions like long distance communication also ensured greater accuracy.
Basically as the pace of life increased, it became more important to know what time it is, to a greater degree of accuracy. A farmer working in his fields, hundreds of years ago, can judge time based on where the sun is and how hungry he feels or how animals are behaving, whereas nowadays some people need to know time down to fractions of a second so that their GPS can take them exactly where they want at hundreds of MPH.
Walter Roberson David Friedman There’s also the fact that time was much more localised in the past. Two towns, even relatively close together, might use somewhat different time. It wasn’t practical, or even possible, to check what time it was at another location, and adjust your time to match.
It was only when high speed methods of travel became viable that a region needed to have one shared time (that is to say, if your town is 5 minutes behind another town, someone’s going to miss their train). Inventions like long distance communication also ensured greater accuracy.
Basically as the pace of life increased, it became more important to know what time it is, to a greater degree of accuracy. A farmer working in his fields, hundreds of years ago, can judge time based on where the sun is and how hungry he feels or how animals are behaving, whereas nowadays some people need to know time down to fractions of a second so that their GPS can take them exactly where they want at hundreds of MPH.
Walter Roberson David Friedman There’s also the fact that time was much more localised in the past. Two towns, even relatively close together, might use somewhat different time. It wasn’t practical, or even possible, to check what time it was at another location, and adjust your time to match.
It was only when high speed methods of travel became viable that a region needed to have one shared time (that is to say, if your town is 5 minutes behind another town, someone’s going to miss their train). Inventions like long distance communication also ensured greater accuracy.
Basically as the pace of life increased, it became more important to know what time it is, to a greater degree of accuracy. A farmer working in his fields, hundreds of years ago, can judge time based on where the sun is and how hungry he feels or how animals are behaving, whereas nowadays some people need to know time down to fractions of a second so that their GPS can take them exactly where they want at hundreds of MPH.
Walter Roberson David Friedman There’s also the fact that time was much more localised in the past. Two towns, even relatively close together, might use somewhat different time. It wasn’t practical, or even possible, to check what time it was at another location, and adjust your time to match.
It was only when high speed methods of travel became viable that a region needed to have one shared time (that is to say, if your town is 5 minutes behind another town, someone’s going to miss their train). Inventions like long distance communication also ensured greater accuracy.
Basically as the pace of life increased, it became more important to know what time it is, to a greater degree of accuracy. A farmer working in his fields, hundreds of years ago, can judge time based on where the sun is and how hungry he feels or how animals are behaving, whereas nowadays some people need to know time down to fractions of a second so that their GPS can take them exactly where they want at hundreds of MPH.
Walter Roberson David Friedman There’s also the fact that time was much more localised in the past. Two towns, even relatively close together, might use somewhat different time. It wasn’t practical, or even possible, to check what time it was at another location, and adjust your time to match.
It was only when high speed methods of travel became viable that a region needed to have one shared time (that is to say, if your town is 5 minutes behind another town, someone’s going to miss their train). Inventions like long distance communication also ensured greater accuracy.
Basically as the pace of life increased, it became more important to know what time it is, to a greater degree of accuracy. A farmer working in his fields, hundreds of years ago, can judge time based on where the sun is and how hungry he feels or how animals are behaving, whereas nowadays some people need to know time down to fractions of a second so that their GPS can take them exactly where they want at hundreds of MPH.
Walter Roberson Thanks.
Googling a little farther, I found:
my-time-machines.net – http://www.my-time-machines.net/Big_Ben_paper_web_05-15-14.pdf
It sounds from that as though the event that led to the clock tower and clock was in 1288, but the tower wasn’t built until 1290.
Walter Roberson Thanks.
Googling a little farther, I found:
my-time-machines.net – http://www.my-time-machines.net/Big_Ben_paper_web_05-15-14.pdf
It sounds from that as though the event that led to the clock tower and clock was in 1288, but the tower wasn’t built until 1290.
Walter Roberson Thanks.
Googling a little farther, I found:
my-time-machines.net – http://www.my-time-machines.net/Big_Ben_paper_web_05-15-14.pdf
It sounds from that as though the event that led to the clock tower and clock was in 1288, but the tower wasn’t built until 1290.
Walter Roberson Thanks.
Googling a little farther, I found:
my-time-machines.net – http://www.my-time-machines.net/Big_Ben_paper_web_05-15-14.pdf
It sounds from that as though the event that led to the clock tower and clock was in 1288, but the tower wasn’t built until 1290.
Walter Roberson Thanks.
Googling a little farther, I found:
my-time-machines.net – http://www.my-time-machines.net/Big_Ben_paper_web_05-15-14.pdf
It sounds from that as though the event that led to the clock tower and clock was in 1288, but the tower wasn’t built until 1290.
When I was looking for more information on candle making to get an idea of how early smooth-burning candles were available (beeswax was known for generations but not in common use in western europe it seems), I found a line that I had never heard discussed:
“The trade of the chandler is also recorded by the more picturesque name of “smeremongere”, since they oversaw the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap and cheese”
Candlemaking was apparently door-to-door starting about the beginning of the Renaissance, so does that imply door-to-door sauce making??
Soaps involve the same fats as tallow candles, so I can see how a single person could end up making both, perhaps even on the same visit.
When I was looking for more information on candle making to get an idea of how early smooth-burning candles were available (beeswax was known for generations but not in common use in western europe it seems), I found a line that I had never heard discussed:
“The trade of the chandler is also recorded by the more picturesque name of “smeremongere”, since they oversaw the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap and cheese”
Candlemaking was apparently door-to-door starting about the beginning of the Renaissance, so does that imply door-to-door sauce making??
Soaps involve the same fats as tallow candles, so I can see how a single person could end up making both, perhaps even on the same visit.
When I was looking for more information on candle making to get an idea of how early smooth-burning candles were available (beeswax was known for generations but not in common use in western europe it seems), I found a line that I had never heard discussed:
“The trade of the chandler is also recorded by the more picturesque name of “smeremongere”, since they oversaw the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap and cheese”
Candlemaking was apparently door-to-door starting about the beginning of the Renaissance, so does that imply door-to-door sauce making??
Soaps involve the same fats as tallow candles, so I can see how a single person could end up making both, perhaps even on the same visit.
When I was looking for more information on candle making to get an idea of how early smooth-burning candles were available (beeswax was known for generations but not in common use in western europe it seems), I found a line that I had never heard discussed:
“The trade of the chandler is also recorded by the more picturesque name of “smeremongere”, since they oversaw the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap and cheese”
Candlemaking was apparently door-to-door starting about the beginning of the Renaissance, so does that imply door-to-door sauce making??
Soaps involve the same fats as tallow candles, so I can see how a single person could end up making both, perhaps even on the same visit.
When I was looking for more information on candle making to get an idea of how early smooth-burning candles were available (beeswax was known for generations but not in common use in western europe it seems), I found a line that I had never heard discussed:
“The trade of the chandler is also recorded by the more picturesque name of “smeremongere”, since they oversaw the manufacture of sauces, vinegar, soap and cheese”
Candlemaking was apparently door-to-door starting about the beginning of the Renaissance, so does that imply door-to-door sauce making??
Soaps involve the same fats as tallow candles, so I can see how a single person could end up making both, perhaps even on the same visit.
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