Dial Tone?

Why do we still use the expression "dial" when talking about our phones? Our phones don't use dials any more - haven't for a long time.  And if you tried to use a telephone with an actual dial it probably wouldn't even be compatible with contemporary phone lines.  But we still talk about dialing numbers and we listen for the dial tone...

The word came from the round face of a "sun-dial" and most likely is derived from the medieval Latin word diallis - "day."



























There are two more pictures of this old rotary phone that I found in our local thrift store - here and here.