Widdershins, also spelled withershins, means “counterclockwise,” and can also refer to someone or something that’s off or backwards. Another word for “the opposite of widdershins,” by the way, is deasil. This is part of a complete episode.
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When I checked the etymology of this word, I found that it came from German, as you said, widder meaning against, and the second part came from sinnen, which can mean to go, but the current meaning of the German word is thinking, or intending. Is there some faction of researchers who would say that the original meaning of widdershins is closer to “counterintuitive" or “illogical"?
Fun segment! I looked it up because I came across this while reading:
“Cyril always to walk widdershins around the garden, but I prefer deasil…"
In The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee, by Alexander McCall Smith, chapter 7.