2006-09-12 10:46:35 · 11 answers · asked by Roger W 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Why mane thing more complex. We could name it Big Darn Rock
2006-09-15 15:26:44 · answer #1 · answered by T diddy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Earth's moon does have a proper name. It can be called either Moon or Luna. If I am not wrong.
2006-09-14 10:32:24 · answer #2 · answered by space 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a good question. It was the first moon ever discovered and was named "The Moon." It wasn't until later that other moons were discovered and they were given names to distinguish them from our moon. Also, they may have been discovered and named before they they were known to behave like our moon. If you notice, our moon is called "The Moon" with an uppercase M, other moons are just a moon with a lowercase m, so in that sense it does have a proper name.
2006-09-12 17:51:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It does.scientifically it is known as Luna.To the non-science world,it's proper name is the Moon with a capital M.
2006-09-12 18:56:57 · answer #4 · answered by That one guy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being the first of anything results in the name of it being descriptive usally. An even better question is why does the Earth not have a proper name.? Or the sun?
2006-09-13 02:24:37 · answer #5 · answered by daddy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The moon does have a proper name. Scientific types prefer not to use it.
2006-09-12 17:53:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar97/858455043.As.q.html
According to the Random House unabridged dictionary (2nd edition) the word moon first appears around 900 AD and has the following etymology:
Modern English: month (one month is about one phase of the Moon)
Middle English: mone (moon)
Old English: mona (moon)
Old High German: mano (moon)
Old Norse: mani (moon)
Latin: mensis (month)
Ancient Greek: mene (moon)
Sanskrit: masa (moon, month)
http://ncsdweb.ncsd.k12.wy.us/planetarium/moonname.html
It may have begun with the Greeks. Their name for the moon was mene. The word we use today, moon, evolved from the Greeks. Mene or moon measures a length of time. It takes the moon about 29 1/2 days to orbit the Earth. We call this amount of time a month (moonth).
2006-09-12 18:42:47 · answer #7 · answered by ratboy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does, it's proper name is "Moon" or "Luna". The Earth also has a minor moon called Cruithne.
2006-09-12 17:52:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does. Moon. Just as Tarzan named his son boy, so it is with the name, Moon.
2006-09-12 17:53:44 · answer #9 · answered by EtzbaTinok 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
[The moon was c]alled Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, and many other names in other mythologies.
2006-09-12 17:51:04 · answer #10 · answered by maegical 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋