'planet' and 'planasthai'

[Chris F Waigl]

Nathan Bierma wrote:
> This is just etymological trivia, but does the Greek root of "planet" --
> "planasthai," to wander -- suggest that ancient astronomers didn't know that
> planets moved in patterns? Or just that their position in the sky shifted while
> the stars remained (apparently) fixed?

As far as I'm aware -- and these are vague recollection from Greek class
-- the ancient Greek astronomers were quite able to record these
patterns but unable to explain them. "Wander" doesn't necessarily mean
total randomness. While the position of the stars remained in a good
approximation fixed with respect to each other, the planets traced
strange paths across this landscape. Heliocentrism was kind of not yet
totally accepted back then.

Chris Waigl
random note: German "wandern, v." means hike.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org