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From Cecil's Mailbag by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board
Dear Straight Dope:
Do non-English speaking countries call the Earth "Earth"?
--Ranchoth
SDSTAFF Jill replies:
Of course not, you knucklehead. This is the great thing about
having your own language. You get to have your own word for
everything! Except there may not be an Ibo name for "video cassette
recorder" or a Navajo word for "electrolysis," in which case the
English term may be used. But earth, now ... most terrestrial
cultures have a pretty good handle on this concept. I looked up the
word "earth" on a website translator:
Global Internet
Translator, and granted, it's possible that in some cases the
real meaning of the word they gave me could be "dirt," but I don't
speak Swahili, so I can't be sure. Here's some of what I found,
searching on "earth":
Afrikaans: aarde
Danish: verden
Finnish: maa
French: mondiale
German: Erde
Indonesian: dunia
Japanese: tsuchi, yochi, chi, a-su, daichi, koudo
Russian: çåìë
Swahili: kiwanja
Swedish: mull
Get the picture? So, when somebody asks YOU this question, you can
tartly respond, "What on kiwanja?" and feel every bit as superior
as I'm feeling now.
SDSTAFF Jill
Straight Dope Science Advisory Board
Cecil's Mailbag is researched and written by members of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, Cecil's online auxiliary. Although the SDSAB does its best, these articles are edited by Ed Zotti, not Cecil, so accuracywise you'd better keep your fingers crossed.
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