What is the Name our Moon?

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Rollo:
Good points, Geo, and I agree. Still it doesn't change the fact that Luna just means Moon in Latin. So, while calling it Luna is indeed scientificly correct, you are still calling it moon.

I vote for Bob.

Actually, in doing a little research I cannot find anywhere that gives an official scientific designation to our moon. Which seems kind of odd to me, since scientist guys are always going around naming stuff.

So perhaps I was mistaken and there is no officially accepted name. In that case Bob is as good as anything else.

Feel free to call me ignorant, just don't call me "english-centric".

[Cheeze]

That's just silly. Everyone knows that Earth 2 is named Bob, so we can't name the Moon the same. How about Bill?

Originally posted by dogscoff:
That would be like naming your cat, CAT

Hey, John Wayne could name his dog DOG. If it was good enough for the Duke, it's good enough for me.

I plan to have a dog with the name STAY.

[ January 27, 2004, 13:35: Message edited by: Cheeze ]

[gregebowman]

One interesting little fact about hte moon and/or luna, is that the word lunatic comes from people who were acting strange during a full moon. I think this was during the 1600's or 1700's, and it might have been in England. I don't recall all of the circumstances now, but since the word lunatic came from the moon, I guess it would provide proof that the offical name back then was Luna.

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Rollo:
BTW, one thing I always found interesting is the fact that in latin Languages the Moon is female and the Sun is male. In germanic Languages it is the other way around.

What's your view on this? (and how about some more examples from other Languages and parts of the world)

It has to do with the gender of the gods associated with the sun and moon in Roman/Greek and Norse mythologies.

[General Woundwort]

Originally posted by Cheeze:
Hey, John Wayne could name his dog DOG. If it was good enough for the Duke, it's good enough for me.

I plan to have a dog with the name STAY.

My JH english teacher had a dog, named "Spot". Yeah, pretty unoriginal, except he used to call out whenever he let it out of the house, "Out, out, damned Spot!"

{this is not a joke.}

[Master Belisarius]

In spanish, the name for the Moon is "Luna", and also, the name for the Sun is "Sol". When we talk about other Planet's satellites, we name them "lunas" too... same thing but talking about others suns.

Then, if you ask me, think the true names in English are simply Moon and Sun.

[Cipher7071]

I say Lord Chane has it about right. Likewise, the Greeks called the moon goddess "Selene". I'm sure there are other names in other Languages that I'm not aware of, but it seems safe to assume that early names for the moon in any language referred to our moon, and not just any satellite. Naturally, our moon was the only such body known in prehistoric times.

edit: It's discoverer is sometimes referred to as Pithecanthropus, which I think refers to the first human being.

[ January 27, 2004, 16:52: Message edited by: Cipher7071 ]