How do you say "constellation" in English? What is the difference between horoscope, constellation, zodiac, star sign?

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How to say "constellation" in English

There are many words in English that can represent the Chinese word "constellation". Some common words such as "star sign", "horoscope", "zodiac", "constellation", "astrology" and other words, which one is the most suitable? What does the word "constellation" mean?

1 Introduction

There are many classifications in the field of Western mystical predictions, including various divinations such as horoscopes, tarot, and spiritual numbers. Among them, the most widely known and popular ones are the "twelve constellations" of Western astrology.

The content of the twelve constellations is mainly to correspond the twelve signs of the zodiac to the twelve constellations, which represent the twelve characteristic patterns, basic personality types or emotional traits, and interpret the effects of the operation of the constellations in the sky on the people on the ground. Impact.

Since the twelve constellations of Western astrology come from the West, it is natural that they must be called in English or other Western languages, but have you ever wondered which word (vocabulary) is used in English for the word "constellation"?

In newspapers and magazines, various web pages, TV media and other media, and even English textbooks, you will find that there are many ways to say "constellation" in English, including "star sign", "horoscope", "zodiac", "constellation", "Astrology" and other words, which one is the word that best matches the meaning of "constellation"?

twelve constellations
ten
two
star
seat
List
surface
constellation Birthday
♈ Aries (Aries, KK[ˋɛriz] DJ[ˋɛəri:z], IPA[ˈeəriːz] ) March 21st ~ April 19th
♉ Taurus (Taurus, KK[ˋtɔrəs], DJ[ˋtɔ:rəs], IPA[ˈtɔːrəs] ) April 20th ~ May 20th
♊ Gemini, KK[ˋdʒɛmə͵naɪ], DJ[ˋdʒeminai], IPA[ˈdʒemɪnaɪ] ) May 21 ~ June 21
♋ Cancer, KK[ˋkænsɚ], DJ[ˋkænsə], IPA[ˈkænsə(r)] ) June 22 ~ July 22
♌ Leo (Leo, KK[ˋlio], DJ[ˋli:əu], IPA[ˈliːəʊ] ) July 23rd ~ August 22nd
♍ Virgo (Virgo, KK[ˋvɝgo], DJ[ˋvə:gəu], IPA[ˈvɜːgəʊ] ) August 23rd ~ September 22nd
♎ Libra, KK[ˋlaɪbrə], DJ[ˋlaibrə], IPA[ˈliːbrə] ) September 23rd ~ October 22nd
♏ Scorpio, KK[ˋskɔrpɪ͵o], DJ[ˋskɔ:piəu], IPA[ˈskɔːpɪəʊ] ) October 23rd ~ November 21st
♐ Sagittarius, KK[͵sædʒɪˋtɛrɪəs], DJ[͵sædʒiˋtɛəriəs], IPA[ˌsædʒɪˈteərɪəs] ) November 22 ~ December 21
♑ Capricornus, KK[͵kæprɪˋkɔrnəs], DJ[͵kæpriˋkɔ:nəs], IPA: [ˌkæprɪˈkɔːrnəs] ) December 22nd ~ January 19th
♒ Aquarius (Aquarius, KK[əˋkwɛrɪəs], DJ[əˋkweriəs], IPA[əˈkweərɪəs] ) January 20 ~ February 18
♓ Pisces, KK[ˋpaɪsiz], DJ[ˋpaisi:z], IPA[ˈpaɪsiːz] ) February 19th ~ March 20th

2 word discussion

In English, there are many words that can represent the meaning of "constellation", but each of them is different. Which word is more suitable? What is the origin and background of these words with similar meanings to constellations? The following is a detailed explanation of words that have the same meaning as or similar to "constellation" after translating English into Chinese.

2.1 star sign

   "starKK[stɑr]DJ[stɑ:]IPA[stɑː(r)]The word "is derived from the Greek word "astron" or "aster", and after entering English, it becomes "star", which means "star", "star body", "planet" or "star" in Chinese.

  "signKK[saɪn]DJ[sain] IPA[saɪn]"(KK phonetic symbol: [ saɪn ]) is both a root and a word in English, derived from the Latin "signare"(Equivalent to "mark" in English:markor "signum" (equivalent to the English "mark": token, or "token": mark), in English, if it is a verb, it means "signature", "gesture" or "expression", etc., if it is a noun, it means "mark", "sign", "sign" and so on.

Therefore, the word "star sign" literally means "star sign".

Chinese charactersThe word "seat" has roughly three meanings in Chinese, which are: (1) seat, seat, for example: "take a seat", "give up a seat", "full of friends" and so on; (2) a bracket for utensils, For example: "base", "pen holder", "clock base" and so on; (3) Quantifiers, counting units with a base or large objects, for example: "a mountain" and so on. The "constellation" can be interpreted literally, which can refer to "a group of stars forming a position or coordinate symbol" or "a group of stars' bracket", which is the meaning of a constellation.

Although "star sign" literally means "constellation", but in fact, English speakers seldom use this word, but use other English words (introduced below), and "star sign" is Because it is easier for people to understand it as "constellation" when it is translated literally into Chinese, so it can be understood in meaning but it is not the most commonly used word.

2.2 horoscope

  "horoscopeKK[ˋhɔrə͵skop]DJ[ˋhɔrəskəup]IPA[ˈhɒrəskəʊp]The word "is an English vocabulary composed of two morphemes, the root "horo" and the root "scope". The meanings of the composition are:

(1) The root word "horo" means the same as "hour" in English, and it means "hour", "clock", "... o'clock" in Chinese.

(2) The root word "scope" comes from the Greek word "skopein", which means the same as the English word "look", which means "watch" in Chinese, for example: scope (field of view, scope), telescope (telescope). At the same time, the root "scope" has the same origin as "spect". The root "spect" comes from the Latin "specere", which means "see", "look", "watch" and other verbs related to "see", such as : inspect (inspection, review), prospect (view, expectation), respect (respect, attention), expect (expectation, expectation) and so on.

The composition and etymology of "horoscope"
horoscope morpheme horo + scope = horoscope
type radical radical word
etymology morpheme   skopein  
language   Greek  
mean English hours look horoscope
Chinese Hour look Horoscope, twelve constellations, etc.

To sum up, the word "horoscope" composed of the root "horo" and the root "scope" refers to "things observed every hour" from the literal meaning of the morpheme, and the ancients used astrology as Observing the movement of celestial bodies all the time, so it is sometimes used to refer to astrology. However, in fact, the word "horoscope" is translated into the official Chinese name and means "Tian Gong Tu", which refers to the positions of the sun, moon, planets, zodiac signs and midheaven represented by images in astrology. However, since few people know what the horoscope is, it is usually taken to mean the twelve constellations when it comes to "horoscope".

2.3 the signs of the zodiac or zodiac signs 

 

The relationship between the ecliptic and the equator

The relationship between the ecliptic and the equator: the equator is a plane perpendicular to the earth's rotation axis, and the angle between it and the orbital plane (ecliptic) is the orbital inclination, that is, the angle of eclipse.

The word "sign" has been explained in detail in the above paragraph of "star sign", and its main meaning is "sign".

  "zodiacKK[ˋzodɪ͵æk]DJ[ˋzəudiæk]IPA[ˈzəʊdɪæk]"It means "Zodiac" in Chinese."Ecliptic" refers to the apparent motion track of the sun on the celestial sphere, which is the datum of the ecliptic coordinate system;and"Zodiac" (Greek: ζῳδιακός, zōdiakos) is an astronomical term referring to the ring of constellations on the zodiac. To put it simply, the orbit formed by the earth when it revolves around the sun is the ecliptic, and the ring belt full of stars on the ecliptic is the zodiac.

The word "the signs of the zodiac" literally means "the sign of the zodiac", and the signs of the zodiac on the earth observe the zodiac refer to the twelve constellations, so "the signs of the zodiac" zodiac" or "zodiac signs" usually refer to the twelve constellations of astrology.

In addition, the etymology of the word "zodiac" actually comes from the Greek word "zoion". "zoion" means "animal", which is equivalent to "animal" in English, so the English "zoo" (zoo) also comes from this. Because "zodiac" is not only a chart used in astrology to describe the paths of the sun, moon, and planets, but also contains the Latin names of many animals, such as: scorpio (scorpion (scorpio) ), leo (lion (Leo) ), cancer (crab (Cancer) ), taurus (bull (Taurus) ), aries (ram (Aries) ), pisces (fish (Pisces) ) and so on, so the ancient Greeks called the zodiac "zōidiakós kýklos" (English is "circle of animals", "animal circle" or "beast belt"), and later referred to as "zōidiakós", which entered Latin as " zōdiacus", entered French as "zodiaque", and entered English form in the 14th century as "zodiac". So it is derived from "zoion", and the adjective is the word "zodiacal", which means "of the zodiac" or "of the zodiac".

2.4 western astrology

  "westernKK[ˋwɛstɚn]DJ[ˋwestən]IPA[ˈwestən]The word "can be used as an adjective or a noun. When used as an adjective, it means "Western", "Western" or "American Western", etc.; when used as a noun, it means "Western", "American Western" or "American Western". And "western" in "western astrology" means the adjective "Western" or "Western".

  "astrologyKK[əˋstrɑlədʒɪ]DJ[əstˋrɔlədʒi]IPA[əˈstrɒlədʒi]"The word is an English word formed from the root "astr" plus the root "logy". The etymology comes from the Latin "astrologia", which is derived from the Greek "astron" and "logos". , the constituent meanings of the individual characters are:

(1) The root word "astr" ( = aster ) is derived from the Greek word "astron" ( = aster), which means the same as the English "star", and the Chinese meaning is "star", "star body" or "planet" .

(2) The letter "o" between the root "astr" and the root "logy" is used to connect two different roots, and the letter itself has no meaning.

(3) The root word "logy" ( = study of ) is derived from "logos", which means the same as "science" and "study" in English, which means "science" and "research" respectively in Chinese .

Therefore, the word "astrology" literally means "the science or study of the stars". field of.

The composition and etymology of "astrology"
astrology morpheme astr + o + logic = astrology
type radical letter radical word
etymology word astron + logos = astrologia
language Greek   Latin
mean English star + (for link) + science、study = astrology
Chinese stars science, research Astrology, astrology, astrology and more

To sum up, the term "western astrology" literally refers to "Western astrology", which is an astrology system developed in the Western world, mainly from the second century AD.Claudius. PtolemyClaudius PtolemyThe book "Four Books of Astrology" (the content describes the knowledge of natural philosophy and astrology, and is an extremely important classic on the philosophy and application of astrology), which is commonly referred to as the twelve constellations in modern times. Therefore, the term "western astrology" (western astrology) usually refers to the western "zodiac signs" unless there are special circumstances.

In addition, in addition to "Western astrologywestern astrology"Generally refers to the twelve constellations in the West, if only "Astrologyastrology"It generally refers to astrology in any region or sect, for example: Chinese star officials (as many as two or three hundred), Sanyuan, Sixiang, and Twenty-eight Mansions, India's Twenty-Seven Mansions, and various constellations in the Arab world.

2.5 astrological sign

  "astrologicalKK[͵æstrəˋlɑdʒɪk!]DJ[͵æstrəˋlɔdʒikl]IPA [ˌæstrəˈlɒdʒɪkl]" is the adjective of the word "astrology" mentioned in the above article. It is an English word formed from the root "astr" plus the root "logy" and the adjective suffix "-ical". The etymology comes from the Latin "astrologia", which is derived from the Greek "astron" and "logos". The meanings of the words are:

(1) The meaning of the root "astr" has been explained in the above text, so I won't repeat it here.

(2) The letter "o" between the root "astr" and the root "logy" is used to connect two different roots, and the letter itself has no meaning.

(3) The meaning of the root "logy" has been explained in the above text, so I won't repeat it here. In addition, since the root of "logy" is followed by the suffix "-ical", the letter "y" will be removed and combined with the letter "i" to connect the root and the suffix (-ical), while "y" It is also pronounced the same as "i"(More letter pronunciation rules can be found in "English pronunciation"one article).

(4) The suffix "-ical" is an adjective suffix, which is used to express "related to..." and "...sexual".

The composition and etymology of "astrological"
astrological morpheme astr + o + logi (logy) + cal (ical) = astrological
type radical letter radical   adjective ending word
etymology word astron + logos     =  
language Greek        
mean English star + (for link) + science、study +   = astrological
Chinese stars science, research   ……of = astrology, astrology, astrology, etc.

The word "sign" has been explained in detail in the above paragraph of "star sign", and its main meaning is "sign".

The word "astrological sign" literally means "astrological sign" (the sign used in astrology), that is, the meaning of "astrological sign", but the more formal Chinese translation is "zodiac sign", which is Describes the artificially divided twelve equal regions of the zodiac that move with the midair point (which does not correspond to the actual constellation position). The signs used in astrology to refer to the zodiac signs are the "zodiac signs", so "horoscope signs" or "zodiac signs" refer to the "zodiac signs".

2.6 astronomy

The word "astronomy" is an English word composed of four morphemes: the root "astr", the letter "o", the root "nom" and the noun suffix "y". The meanings of the words are as follows:

(1) The meaning of the root "astr" has been explained in the above text, so I won't repeat it here.

(2) The letter "o" between the root "astr" and the root "nom" is used to connect two different roots, and the letter itself has no meaning.

(3) The root word "nom" is derived from the Greek word "nomos", which means the same as the English word "law", and the Chinese meaning is "rule", "law" or "law".

(4) The suffix "y" is a noun suffix to indicate that the part of speech of the word is a noun.

The composition and etymology of "astronomy"
astronomy morpheme astr + o + nom + the y = astronomy
type radical letter radical noun suffix word
etymology word astron   nomos    
language Greek   Greek    
mean English star   the law   astronomy
Chinese star (for link) rule (nominalization) astronomy

To sum up, the word "astronomy" literally refers to "the rules of the stars", and the field of studying the rules of the stars is the so-called "astronomy".

2.7 constellation Chinese

"constellation" is an English word composed of four morphemes: the initial "con-", the root "stell", the verb suffix "-ate" and the noun suffix "-ion". The meanings of the morphemes are:

(1) The prefix "con-" is a variant of "com-", other variants include: "co-", "col-", "comb-", "con-", "cor-", "coun -" and other prefixes, and the prefix "com-" is derived from the Latin "???????", which means the same as English "together", "with", "wholly" and other words, Chinese It means "with", "including", "total", "full", "common", "together" and so on.

(2) The root word "stell" is derived from the Latin word "stella", which means the same as the English word "star", which means "star" in Chinese.

(3) verb endings"-ate" is derived from the Latin "-atus", which is often used as a verb ending, and the noun ending is "-ation".

(4) "-ion" is a noun suffix representing an "abstract noun". It is derived from the Latin "-io" and is used to indicate "behavior" and "process".

Therefore, the noun "constellation" comes from the verb "constellate", and "constellate" means "to gather in groups", "to shine in groups", "to form constellations", "to be decorated with stars (to gather like stars) together)" etc. When the verb suffix "-ate" of "constellate" is to be combined with the noun suffix "ion", the silent "e" should be removed to form "ation", and finally transformed into the noun "constellation".

The composition and etymology of "constellation"
constellation morpheme con + stellar + at (ate) + ion = constellation
type prefix radical verb endings noun suffix word
etymology morpheme ??????? Stella atus io  
language Latin Latin Latin Latin  
mean English together star     constellation
Chinese common Star (verb) (nominalization) constellation

The word "constellation" is translated, and the Chinese also refers to the meaning of "constellation", but the usage is different from the timing of the use of most of the words listed above. The "constellation. Therefore, in addition to the twelve constellations referred to in general astrology, "constellation" also includes many constellations that appear in astronomy, as shown in the following table:

constellations in astronomy
Ptolemy 48 Constellations Andromeda, Aquarius, Aquila, Ara, Argos, Aries, Auriga, Bootes, Cancer, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Centaurus, Cepheus, Cetus, South Corona, Corona, Corvus, Baron, Cygnus, Dolphin, Draco, Equus, Eridanus, Gemini, Hercules, Hydra, Leo, Lepus, Libra, Sirius , Lyra, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pegasus, Perseus, Pisces, Australopiscus, Sagittarius, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Serpent, Taurus, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Virgo.
Modern 88 constellations The deletion of Argos from the above 48 Ptolemaic constellations and the addition of the following 41 newer constellations make up the modern 88 constellations:

  • Vespucci or Cornelius, early 16th century: Southern Cross, Triangulum.
  • Vopel, 1536: Coccinosa.
  • Kaiser and Hautemann, 1596: Apis, Chasma, Doradus, Grus, Hydra, Indian, Musca, Pavo, Phoenix, Rhododendron, Pisces.
  • Plancius, 1613: Camerus, Columba, Monoceros.
  • Habrecht, 1621: Mesh holder.
  • Hevelius, 1683: Canes Venetian, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Scutum, Sextant, Vulpex.
  • Lakai, 1763: Pump base, carving base, carina base, compass base, sky furnace base, clock base, mountain case base, microscope base, square base, south pole base, picture frame base, stern base, compass base, Sculptor, Telescope, Vela.

Therefore, when discussing the constellations in the field of astronomy, even if the twelve constellations that are repeated with astrology are mentioned, the word "constellation" is usually used to indicate that the concept of astronomy and the constellations in the universe are being discussed, rather than the constellations of astrology. avoid confusion.

3 Conclusion

To sum up, "star sign", "horoscope", "the signs of the zodiac (zodiac signs)", "western astrology", "astrological sign", and "constellation" can all refer to "constellation". However, although "star sign" can be understood, it is not a commonly used term for English speakers. "western astrology" has a wider definition (in addition to the twelve constellations, it also includes various elements and techniques of Western astrology), but they are all related to "astrological astrology". sign" and "the signs of the zodiac (zodiac signs)" can refer to the twelve constellations of astrology, as"Constellation" refers to the constellations in astronomy (not limited to the twelve constellations in astrology).

The above has made a detailed explanation and analysis of the English words that can represent the meaning of "constellation" or words related to "constellation". The following will be organized in the form of a table to facilitate readers' organization and absorption after reading. .

Various vocabulary and comparison of "constellation" in English
English words literal meaning official name common meaning explain
star sign star logo constellation constellation Can refer to the twelve constellations
horoscope regular observation horoscope Horoscope, Astrology, Horoscope (Fortune Telling), Zodiac Can refer to the twelve constellations
the signs of the zodiacor "zodiac signs" zodiac signs zodiac signs constellations, signs of the zodiac Can refer to the twelve constellations
western astrology Western astrology Western astrology horoscope, astrology Can refer to zodiac signs and astrology
astrological sign astrological sign zodiac signs constellation Can refer to the twelve constellations
astronomy astral rule astronomy astronomy astronomy
constellation astronomical constellations constellation constellation, constellation region, cluster Refers to the constellations of astronomy

references

  1. Lin Jinhui (translation) (2015), "Deciphering English Vocabulary: Personality, Occupation, Science and Behavior Etymology and Derivative Words Complete Memorization MethodWord Power Made Easy: The Complete Handbook for Building a Superior Vocabulary"(Original Author:Norman. LouisNorman Lewis). Taipei City: EZ Library.
  2. Yang Zhimin and Su Qin (2017), <view>, "The strongest English words on the surface: If you don't want to lose, use "Green's Law" to memorize 10,000 English words (1MP3)". Taipei City: Wozhi Publishing House.
  3. Ministry of Education, <seat>, Education Encyclopedia, Education Cloud.
  4. Opening English (2016), <Americans also love to talk about constellations>. Daily headlines.
  5. Liu Yi (2018), "English root dictionary". Taipei City: Learning Press.
  6. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <horoscope>. Wikipedia.
  7. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <Four Books of Astrology>. Wikipedia.
  8. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <Astrology>. Wikipedia.
  9. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <Western astrology>. Wikipedia.
  10. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <constellation>. Wikipedia.
  11. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <ecliptic>. Wikipedia.
  12. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <zodiac signs>. Wikipedia.
  13. Wikipedia Editor (2018), <zodiac>. Wikipedia.
  14. Editor of Excellent Words (2015), <Etymology of zodiac>. Excellent words.

update record

  1. 2022/05/16, multilingual version added.
  2. 2022/02/10, updated letters.



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