What origin are the words: Lunar Eclipse? I know what it is, I need a origin and the meaning in that language.

Question

What origin are the words: Lunar Eclipse? I know what it is, I need a origin and the meaning in that language.

Answer 1

Lunar:

[Middle English, crescent-shaped, from Old French lunaire, from Latin lÅ«nāris, of the moon, from lÅ«na, moon; see  leuk- in Indo-European roots.]

1.   of or pertaining to the moon: the lunar orbit.

2. measured by the moon's revolutions: a lunar month.

3. resembling the moon; round or crescent-shaped.

4. of or pertaining to silver.

   1.  Of, involving, caused by, or affecting the moon.

   2. Measured by the revolution of the moon.

   3. Of or relating to silver.

Eclipse:

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin eclÄ«psis, from Greek ekleipsis, from ekleipein, to fail to appear, suffer an eclipse : ek-, out; see  ecto- + leipein, to leave; see  leikw- in Indo-European roots.]

1.   Astronomy.

a. the obscuration of the light of the moon by the intervention of the earth between it and the sun (lunar eclipse) or the obscuration of the light of the sun by the intervention of the moon between it and a point on the earth (solar eclipse).

b. a similar phenomenon with respect to any other planet and either its satellite or the sun.

c. the partial or complete interception of the light of one component of a binary star by the other.

2. any obscuration of light.

3. a reduction or loss of splendor, status, reputation, etc.: Scandal caused the eclipse of his career.

–verb (used with object)

4. to cause to undergo eclipse: The moon eclipsed the sun.

5. to make less outstanding or important by comparison; surpass: a soprano whose singing eclipsed that of her rivals.

   1.

         1. The partial or complete obscuring, relative to a designated observer, of one celestial body by another.

         2. The period of time during which such an obscuration occurs.

         3. A fall into obscurity or disuse; a decline: "A composer . . . often goes into eclipse after his death and never regains popularity" (Time).

         4. A disgraceful or humiliating end; a downfall: Revelations of wrongdoing helped bring about the eclipse of the governor's career.

   2. A temporary or permanent dimming or cutting off of light.

   3.

         1. A fall into obscurity or disuse; a decline: "A composer . . . often goes into eclipse after his death and never regains popularity" (Time).

         2. A disgraceful or humiliating end; a downfall: Revelations of wrongdoing helped bring about the eclipse of the governor's career.

Answer 2

In French, my mother tongue, it is called "une éclipse lunaire" and therefore I can say without hesitation that the origin of the word is French/Latin.

Incidentally, I read that 60% of the English language comes from French and/or Latin. As an example, I created a sentence that can be heard in a courtroom:

A case of non-assistance to a person in danger.

In French, it is:

Un cas de non-assistance à une personne en danger.

Quite similar, isn't it? Of course, a few English words also entered the French language but much later. Words as "tourist" and "parking" and ... well almost everything related to computer science.

(EDITED) Ah, I see that someone answered a few seconds before me by copy & paste from the internet. There you are ... but less fun! :-)

Answer 3

I remember long ago when I was in school that we had this thing called a book.  The specific book I remember was Webster's Dictionary.  The Dictionary will give you the origin of all words.  Amazing, isn't it?

Answer 4

They're from Latin.  'Lunar' derives from 'luna'; the Moon.  'Eclipse' comes from 'eclipsis' and that means, er, 'eclipse'.

Answer 5

"Lunar" comes from the Latin word "lunaris", meaning "of the moon", coming into English via the Old French "lunaire". "Eclipse" is originally from the Greek "ekleipsis" (meaning leave out, forsake) or "ekleipein" (meaning to fail to appear), which probably made its way into English via the Latin "eclipsis" and the Old French "eclipse". Together they describe the moon being obscured by the Earth's shadow and "failing to appear", thus a "lunar eclipse".