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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Should I question Pliny?
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Sep 6, 16:48 -0700
From: Frank Reed
Date: 2009 Sep 6, 16:48 -0700
Yes, it's the seven stars of the big dipper... "These seven stars (septentriones, from the phrase septem triones, meaning "seven plough oxen"[1]) are the origin of the Latin word septentriones meaning "north" and now found as the adjective septentrional (northern) in English, French, Italian, and Spanish." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dipper (or check the OED, e.g.) So their word for north came originally from their name for the "big dipper" rather than the other way around, in much the same way that "arctic" comes from the Greek word for bear (either Ursa Major or Ursa Minor, that is). But here's the catch: being unable to see the "septentrion" could have meant either the north generally or the constellation, and supposedly the word was used in both fashions in Pliny's day. So we can maybe ignore that reference... There's no such luck with the claim that they could not see the Pleiades or any of the other supposed astronomical curiosities. -FER --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ NavList message boards: www.fer3.com/arc Or post by email to: NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
