The earth v. Earth

[Benjamin Barrett]

Hmmm. I've always understood Gaia, Sol and Luna to be names for the
earth, sun and moon, respectively. Terra is a new one to me I found on
Wikipedia. Their derivations, of course, don't alter whether they are
proper nouns or not. Is there English usage to suggest these are
references to Greek and Latin instead of being English names? BB

Wilson Gray wrote:
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>
> 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:
>
>> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
>>
>> 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.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> 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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>

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