An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A cord with a weight attached to one end, used to verify a true vertical alignment or to find the depth of water.

Etymology (EN): → plumb; → line.

Etymology (PE): Šâqul, variants šâhul, sâhul, probably from sahi

• suffix -ul, variant -âl. The first element sahi “upright, right,” variants (Tabari, Torbat-Heydariyeyi: šax) “right, upright, straight, level,” colloquial Pers. šaq (o raq = râst) “upright, erect.” For the second element → -âl.