My Account Log in

1 option

StarWords : The Celestial Roots of Modern Language / by Daniel Kunth, Elena Terlevich.

Springer Nature - Springer Physics and Astronomy eBooks 2024 English International Available online

View online
Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Kunth, D., author.
Terlevich, E. (Elena), author.
Series:
Popular Astronomy, 2626-8779
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Physics--History.
Physics.
Sociolinguistics.
Language and languages.
History of Physics and Astronomy.
Language History.
Local Subjects:
History of Physics and Astronomy.
Sociolinguistics.
Language History.
Physical Description:
1 online resource (173 pages)
Edition:
1st ed. 2024.
Place of Publication:
Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, 2024.
Summary:
Unbeknownst to many, our modern language contains countless words that were inspired by human observations of the cosmos. We now use words like “zenith”, “Monday”, “disaster”, “dog days”, “starfish”, “lunatic”, flu, and so many others, without a second thought for their celestial roots. Famous French astrophysicist Daniel Kunth invites you on a linguistic and scientific journey through space and time to explore these forgotten origins. You will be astonished to rediscover cosmic language hidden in plain sight through this wonderful collection of historical and cultural stories, famous idioms and delightful puns, along with the real science behind each one. Elena Terlevich is a well known professional astronomer working at INAOE in Mexico, an honorary Professor at La Plata University in Argentina and a regular visitor at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge (UK). Requiring no prior knowledge in astronomy or linguistics, this book’s universal contents invite the reader to ponder how our observations of the night sky have shaped our modern tongue and customs.
Contents:
Chapter 1. Sky
Chapter 2. LIGHT
Chapter 3. STARS
Chapter 4. COSMOS
Chapter 5. SUN
Chapter 6. MOON
Chapter 7. ECLIPSES
Chapter 8. COMETS
Chapter 9. PLANETS
Chapter 10. Calendar.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:
9783031490248
303149024X

The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.

Find

Home Release notes

My Account

Shelf Request an item Bookmarks Fines and fees Settings

Guides

Using the Find catalog Using Articles+ Using your account