Discovery of the origin of the word asteroid and the Related Terms asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, and cometoid

Clifford J. Cunningham

Discovery of the origin of the word asteroid and the Related Terms asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, and cometoid

Publication date: 11.03.2015

Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia, 2015, Volume 20, Issue 1, pp. 47-62

https://doi.org/10.4467/20843836SE.15.003.2789

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Discovery of the origin of the word asteroid and the Related Terms asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, and cometoid

Abstract

Asteroid is now one of the most widely used words in English. For more than two centuries it has been assumed that the astronomer William Herschel created the word, but that assumption can be shown to be false. This paper reveals for the first time the true identity of the person who coined the word asteroid, and the origins of five other related words: asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule and cometoid. In the cases of asteroidal and cometoid, this paper corrects errors in the OED.

Keywords

astronomy, asteroid, planetoid, planetule, Herschel

References

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Banks, J., 1802. Letter to William Herschel. 7 June. RAS (B.42), London.

Bolles, W., 1845. An Explanatory and Phonographic Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language. Bolles & Williams, New London.

Borden, A. R., 1982. A Comprehensive Old-English Dictionary. University Press of America.

Brougham, H., 1803. The Edinburgh Review, Oct. 1802…Jan. 1803, second edition, Vol. 1, 426–431. Printed by D. Willison for Archibald Constable, Edinburgh; and T. N. Longman & O. Rees, London.

Burney, C., Sr., 1802a. Letter to Charles Burney Jr., 10 May (likely correct date is 3 May). Yale University Archives, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, OSB MSS 3.

Burney, C., Sr., 1802b. Letter to Frances Crewe, 7 December. Yale University Archives, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, OSB MSS 3.

Chaikin, A., 2003. A Bizarro “Cometoid”. Sky & Telescope. Online article dated 26 September. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/3308121.html?

Information

Information: Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia, 2015, Volume 20, Issue 1, pp. 47-62

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4467/20843836SE.15.003.2789

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Discovery of the origin of the word asteroid and the Related Terms asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, and cometoid

English:

Discovery of the origin of the word asteroid and the Related Terms asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, and cometoid

Authors

Clifford J. Cunningham

Clifford Cunningham 511 SE 5th Ave., Suite 1102 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301, USA

Published at: 11.03.2015

Article status: Open

Licence: None

Percentage share of authors:

Clifford J. Cunningham (Author) - 100%

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English

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