Hi everyone: I'm sure that many of us make the mistake of using the terms "gnomon" and "style" as if they meant the same thing; I know I do. Both Waugh and Mayall define style as the edge of the gnomon which casts the shadow by which the time is measured. If the gnomon is a solid triangle on a horizontal dial, then this definition is clear. But in the case of sundials which use strings, cables, rods, or pipes, wouldn't the gnomon be the SAME as the style because the center of the whole shadow is used to tell time, and not just the edge?
Should I refer to the cable of my sundials as a gnomon or style or both? Thanks, John Carmichael http://www.azstarnet.com/~pappas p.s. I've noticed that some people spell style as "stile". Which is the prefered spelling?
