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zodiac sign
(lemmy.ml)
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this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2024
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While most zodiac signs are inspired by real animals, wtf is an "aquarius"?
In Dutch we don't use the Latin names for zodiac signs (and we call them "sterrenbeelden", which means "star images" or maybe "star statues"). Aquarius is "waterman", which I guess would translate to (surprise) "water man".
Why? Not sure, but it might be because of Simon Stevin who insisted we use Dutch words for mathematical concepts, and thought up some words like "evenwijdig" ("same distancey") for "parallel" and "wiskunde" ("certainty knowledge") for mathematics.
Literally, "water man" is correct. But I would translate it a bit more loosely as "water bearer".
Most, if not all, names of zodiac signs in Dutchare are literal translations from Latin. But while most people understand that Leo means Lion, how many know Cancer is Latin for crab?
Water bearer makes much more sense, thanks! I did notice the images where a guy carries a jug, but as a kid, I always imagined the water man to be some kind of elemental, and I never consciously challenged that idea. Haha.
Dutch is a strange language.
I agree, and I love how it has these younger words with a vivid etymology, how it shares so many common roots with English, German, the Scandinavian languages, and a serving of French, but also sprinkles of many other languages from its seafaring and otherwise trading history. And I love the grammar rules that allow one to be precise and concise in many things (but there we must definitely bow to German).
Aquarius in English is normally called "the water bearer" so a person carrying water (probably back from the well)