Home » Segments » Widdershins

Widdershins

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

1 comment
  • 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”?

More from this show

Going on Buxtehude

Sean in Oneonta, New York, says that when he was growing up in New Jersey, his family would pile in the car and set off on a surprise adventure, whether a short distance or long, and the kids would be told only that they were going on Buxtehude...

Recent posts