The name Arctic has nothing to do with the presence of bears, it got its name from either of the two star constellations Ursa Major or Ursa Minor (Edit: meaning big and small bear), where ursa is arctos in Greek, which are both present in the northern hemisphere and tge latter even contains the celestial north pole.
But I suppose your point is that it is a degree removed from bears, that it is based on the constellations that are based on bears, rather than direct.. But "nothing" to do with bears isn't correct ..
I think the point is that there are no kangaroo constellations in the northern hemisphere. There would be no bear constellations, either, except for the presence of bears.
BTW, "bear" means "the brown one", which is more or less "the animal that must not be named". This is true in a bunch of languages (Czech has "the honey eater").
This is sometimes called the Indo-European Bear Taboo, because it's observed in many IE languages, mostly northern and central ones.
In some areas without bears it looks like mountain lions get the same treatment. So it may stem from a common IE tradition of euphemizing the largest predator and that tradition changed as IE groups moved into new areas.
But it may just be a human tendency to avoid speaking the name of dangerous or hateful things - many use euphemisms instead of saying trump's name.
From a similar thread on the other website hypothesizing what the Modern English word would be if it survived:
After the later metathesis to *h₂ŕ̥ḱtos, it could have become Proto-Germanic *urhtaz, which might have taken any number of forms in Old English, *urht, *orht, *roht. Probably at the extreme it could have become English *rought, pronounced like 'wrought' or 'rout'.
The word Arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός arktikos "near the Bear, northern"[4] and from the word ἄρκτος arktos meaning "bear," named for either the constellation known as Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", which is prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere,[5][6] or the constellation Ursa Minor, the "Little Bear", which contains the celestial north pole (currently very near Polaris, the current north Pole Star, or North Star).[7]
Yeah. The Greeks also didnt live anywhere near the arctic and couldn't have possibly known of the existance of polar bears there. They just named the north "the arctic", aka, the place the bear constellations point. Then, the antarctic is "the opposite of that"
I can't be certain, but the thought keeps me up at night. Even worse, there could be an antibear in the room with you right now. We have no idea what they look like and they may be invisible to non antipeople.
The north pole pole has the presents of the bears. The south is the opposite, anti-polaric bears should be everywhere. Hence the mystery of bearyonic asymmetry.
Antarctica was originally called Australia before it was discovered until they discovered Australia and thought it was Antarctica which hadn't been discovered yet
61 Comments
Successful_Try543@feddit.org · 149 pts · 37d
The name Arctic has nothing to do with the presence of bears, it got its name from either of the two star constellations Ursa Major or Ursa Minor (Edit: meaning big and small bear), where ursa is arctos in Greek, which are both present in the northern hemisphere and tge latter even contains the celestial north pole.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic
jj4211@lemmy.world · 68 pts · 37d
And those are all "bear"...
But I suppose your point is that it is a degree removed from bears, that it is based on the constellations that are based on bears, rather than direct.. But "nothing" to do with bears isn't correct ..
Successful_Try543@feddit.org · 45 pts · 37d
Nothing to do with the presence of bears. The stellar constructions aren't actual bears.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 18 pts · 37d
I think the point is that there are no kangaroo constellations in the northern hemisphere. There would be no bear constellations, either, except for the presence of bears.
Successful_Try543@feddit.org · 8 pts · 37d
That's a good point.
lightsblinken@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 36d
NotWithThatAttitude!
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 13 pts · 37d
If those aren't real bears, then whose blood is it that turns the leaves red in the fall?
DaGreenGobbo@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 37d
Jesus?
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 37d
That's my name, don't wear it out
sniggleboots@europe.pub · 5 pts · 37d
Source??
SystemDisc@feddit.org · 4 pts · 37d
Nah, I don’t think that’s right. Those constellations are 100% actual bears
fartographer@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 37d
I've seen Hercules
lightsblinken@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 36d
we are all just cosmic dust, including bears
jj4211@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 37d
Could have sworn it wasn't phrased that way when I first read the comment...
Successful_Try543@feddit.org · 4 pts · 37d
No, I just added the translation "big and small bear" which I forgot before.
Klear@piefed.world · 21 pts · 37d
BTW, "bear" means "the brown one", which is more or less "the animal that must not be named". This is true in a bunch of languages (Czech has "the honey eater").
It might be the oldest known euphemism.
Hegar@fedia.io · 18 pts · 37d
This is sometimes called the Indo-European Bear Taboo, because it's observed in many IE languages, mostly northern and central ones.
In some areas without bears it looks like mountain lions get the same treatment. So it may stem from a common IE tradition of euphemizing the largest predator and that tradition changed as IE groups moved into new areas.
But it may just be a human tendency to avoid speaking the name of dangerous or hateful things - many use euphemisms instead of saying trump's name.
hakase@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 37d
Also happened with "beaver" in at least Germanic, Celtic, and Balto-Slavic, so not just apex predators.
dohpaz42@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 37d
That certainly explains all of the “pet names” I’ve given myself over the years.
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 37d
Can you supply a link re the mountain lions? Not bc I disagree, just want to read more
Hegar@fedia.io · 2 pts · 37d
I can't remember where i heard it, i think it was mentioned maybe in a video by stefan milo or crecganford?
All i could find in a few minutes of googling is this paper on polish etymologies of bear, lynx and wolf as possibly taboo zoonyms.
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works · 16 pts · 37d
one day I will say the true name of the bear and summon The Brownest One
Klear@piefed.world · 12 pts · 37d
You'd better eat all your honey beforehand or you'll lose it.
Mac@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 37d
You assume the honey is for me and not an offering
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 37d
Mmm. Honey filled snack.
hakase@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 37d
That's only for the Slavic "bear" euphemism, medved "honey-eater"
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 37d
Is there a Russian tennis player with this name?
hakase@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 37d
From a similar thread on the other website hypothesizing what the Modern English word would be if it survived:
Good luck with your summoning!
0x0@infosec.pub · 1 pts · 37d
If i remember correctly bear isnt even the actual name but another nickname, the real name is long forgotten and replaced by winnie the pooh
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 26 pts · 37d
Also, 'ant-' just means "opposite". It can negate a statement, but it can also express opposition or relative position.
In this case, 'Antarctic' just means "on the opposite end of the planet from the Arctic."
Brown5500@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 37d
I think you are trying to say "well duh, of course they were dead on. The stars literally aligned and told them that."
dudeface@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 37d
And I imagine Antarctic has some relation to being the antipodean arctic
trashcroissant@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 37d
But is the presence if Ursa not the presence of bears?
not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 37d
valar@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 37d
chaogomu@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 37d
Why do you think Ursa Major was in the northern sky? To the ancient Greeks, bears were things that lived in the north.
NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 37d
Way to ruin it party pooper!
HubertManne@piefed.social · 62 pts · 37d
I thought it had to do with constellations. Ursa Major and Minor.
blarghly@lemmy.world · 38 pts · 37d
Yeah. The Greeks also didnt live anywhere near the arctic and couldn't have possibly known of the existance of polar bears there. They just named the north "the arctic", aka, the place the bear constellations point. Then, the antarctic is "the opposite of that"
Abyssian@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 37d
Yup, but I prefer to spend my time thinking about Antibears.
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 37d
If an antibear comes in contact with a regular bear, do they annihilate each other in a large burst of energy?
Abyssian@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 37d
I can't be certain, but the thought keeps me up at night. Even worse, there could be an antibear in the room with you right now. We have no idea what they look like and they may be invisible to non antipeople.
Jesus_666@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 37d
You're thinking of dark bears which don't interact with regular bears and are hard to detect.
Abyssian@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 36d
Racism's not cool, man. Nothing wrong with a dark bear interacting with any other color bear.
dial_pootis@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 36d
They are absorbed into each other, and disappear into entropy
HubertManne@piefed.social · 2 pts · 36d
Oh I love Aunty bears. They are so wholesome.
Eh_I@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 37d
The north pole pole has the presents of the bears. The south is the opposite, anti-polaric bears should be everywhere. Hence the mystery of bearyonic asymmetry.
white_nrdy@programming.dev · 7 pts · 37d
What kind of presents do bears give?
Haaveilija@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 37d
They come bearing gifts
Trail@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 37d
With their bear hands.
titanicx@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 37d
And bear bottoms
Haaveilija@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 37d
And bushy beards
titanicx@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 37d
Dude haven't you seen the Coke Christmas commercials?
Amro@piefed.social · 24 pts · 37d
Just think; It could have been "No Penguins" and "Penguins".
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com · 4 pts · 37d
Even though penguins still face plenty of other hazards, I'm glad that the bears and penguins aren't on the same one.
InterestingUsername@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 37d
Pretty funny but not really wholesome
metallic_substance@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 37d
I think there's an argument to be made that it's also not at all funny
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 37d
Or accurate.
Flax_vert@feddit.uk · 10 pts · 37d
Antarctica was originally called Australia before it was discovered until they discovered Australia and thought it was Antarctica which hadn't been discovered yet
Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 37d
Antarctica did get the next best thing though: leopard seals.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 37d
So you're fine as long as you don't unseal the leopards.
Ceruleum@lemmy.wtf · 3 pts · 37d
So penguins are anti-bears.
kubica@fedia.io · 1 pts · 37d
TIEPilot@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 30d
TIEPilot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 30d