(Chevy) Nova --Query

[Beverly Flanigan]

At 12:30 AM 5/7/2005, you wrote:
>>>>I think "nova" in Spanish means
>>>>about the same as "nova" in English, right?
>>>
>>>Well, "nueva", but there are number of more high-register (scholarly,
>>>literary, scientific) doublets involving "nova-" in which the
>>>diphthongization didn't apply, e.g. "novela".  I think the first
>>>association for a Spanish speaker with "Nova", with that stress
>>>pattern (a point Snopes mentions), would be 'new' and not 'doesn't
>>>go'.
>>
>>I didn't mean to refer to the Spanish cognate "nuevo"/"nueva" (or to the
>>English cognate "new"). I meant exactly "nova", which means AFAIK "suddenly
>>[and transiently] very bright star" or so, same in Spanish as in English.
>>Of course "new" is the primary meaning of "nova" in Latin, which would also
>>be widely recognized among Spanish- or English-speakers. It's not obvious
>>to me which of these ideas (if either) was intended to be evoked when GM
>>chose the name.
>>
>>-- Doug Wilson
>
>The problem with the stellar nova as an inspiration for the car name
>is that, at least from what I know about them, they burn out pretty
>quickly and die--not the best quality when you're promoting a car
>model.
>
>Larry

Hey, I still drive an '87 Chevy Nova, and it runs beautifully, rust and all!