Etymology of the planetary names...

Posted by Wade MacMorrighan on November 06, 2003

Hey, I'm new and loking to further research something. Personally, I am big on citing my sources (and find it irritating when an author does not do similarly). So...I was reading a book in which the author asserted that the word "Moon" comes fromes the Indo-European "me," which means among other things (his words), "a quality of mind" and "measurement". As well, he asserts, "The Greek 'metis' (wisdom) and the Old High German 'muot' (mind or spirit) share the same root word as Moon."

I would also like to research the etymology of the names of the planets/Gods, as well as the Gods of Greece, Rome and other European deities, if anyone might be able to point me to some excellent sources (very reputible ones at that). ;o)

FRankly, I'm surprised that I can find no other Dictionaries akin to the Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, which are scholarly, and include the translations for their deities' names. "Seus," I hear (as an example) means either "bright" or "sky" yet I have been unable to validate it. :o)

Wade MacMorrighan

  • Moon ESC 06/November/03
    • Moon & planets, etc GPP 07/November/03