The earth v. Earth

[Wilson Gray]

To pick a nit, Gaia is Greek and a goddess, as well as one of the
words for "(the) earth" (damned near everything was or had a deity to
the Greeks), whereas "sol," "luna," and "terra" are merely the Latin
words for "(the) sun," "(the) moon," and "(the) earth."

-Wilson

On 8/8/07, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: The earth v. Earth
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Every other geographical region that I can think of is capitalized:
> Alpha Centauri, Sol, Luna, North America, Minnesota, the Great Plains,
> the Olympic Peninsula. It seems that a justification to not capitalize
> earth is called for, rather than a justification for capitalizing the
> other planets. (Time may very well have done so, I just don't remember.)
>
> You can argue, for example, that sun, moon and earth are names of
> objects and Sol, Luna, Gaia/Terra are names. I think Solar System should
> probably be capitalized with this thinking because it's Sol's System. BB
>
> Wilson Gray wrote:
> > Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >
> > But doesn't "the other planets are named for gods," and the earth
> > isn't, constitute  justification? Am I missing something?
> >
> > -Wilson
> >
> > On 8/8/07, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> >>
> >> I think Time magazine mentioned this in an editorial note about planet
> >> capitalization around 15 years ago. (It was probably before they
> >> downgraded their writing style for mass appeal since that's when I
> >> stopped reading it.)
> >>
> >> They said that they capitalized all the planets except earth because the
> >> others are named for gods. I don't recall if there was a justification
> >> for not capitalizing earth. BB
> >>
> >> Wilson Gray wrote:
> >>
> >>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> >>> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>
> >>> >From Slashdot science:
> >>>
> >>> "[The asteroid] Apophis will pass closer to _earth_ than
> >>> geosynchronous satellites orbit."
> >>>
> >>> I'm pretty sure - though I wouldn't bet money on it - that, back in
> >>> the '40's and '50's - the earth was referred to as "_the_ earth." More
> >>> recently, it seems to me, "the earth" has been replaced by "Earth."
> >>> Here's an instance that's neither "the earth" nor "Earth." It could be
> >>> a simple typo, however.
> >>>
>
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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