Have you ever paused to think about the "O" in "o'clock" when you check the time? It's a phrase so deeply ingrained in our everyday speech that we rarely give it a second thought. But this little "O" carries with it a rich history dating back centuries.
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The "O" in "o'clock" is actually a contraction of the word "of." The full phrase used to be "of the clock," as people would reference the time according to the clock rather than by other means, such as the sun or stars. Over time, as language evolved and became more efficient, "of the clock" was shortened to "o'clock."
This phrase became popular during the 15th century when mechanical clocks began to dominate as the primary way to tell time. Prior to that, sundials or natural observations like the position of the sun were common. With clocks becoming more reliable, the expression “of the clock” became the go-to reference for time.
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