A watch and a clock do essentially the same thing: they tell time. So why do we call the timepiece on our wrist a watch instead of simply calling it a clock?
The answer goes back more than a thousand years. In Old English, "watch" didn't refer to a timepiece at all. Instead, it meant wakefulness, a vigil, or the act of staying awake to guard someone or something. Sailors stood watch. Soldiers kept watch. The word was closely tied to the idea of remaining alert.
Over time, "watch" took on several related meanings. It could refer to the person keeping guard, a patrol, or a lookout. By the 1500s, "watch" could also refer to an alarm on a clock. In that context, a "watch" was something that would rouse a person into wakefulness. Historical examples include the phrase "the watch of the clock."
As clocks became smaller and more portable, the meaning shifted again. By the late 16th century, "watch" was being used to describe a portable timepiece, which at the time, was usually carried in a pocket or worn on a chain. The familiar term "pocket watch" appeared by the early 1600s, although "pocket clock" also existed for a time.
Today, our watches are packed with technology, but "watch" still hearkens back to older meanings, like staying awake and standing guard. And they're still good for telling time.
For more on "watch," including "smart watch" and "dumb watch," listen to the audio above.
