Monday, November 24, 2025

10.02.26: Comenius CVI; the Celestial Sphere [7]; text and vocabulary [6]

[8] Other Circles are the Horizon, │ Aliī Circulī sunt Horīzōn

the Meridian, │ Meridiānus (see previous post)

the Æquator, │ Æquātor,

the two Colures, │ duo Colūrī, 

the one of the Equinocts, │ alter Æquinoxiōrum,*

(of the Spring │ (Vernī,
when the ☉ entreth into ; │ quando ☉ ingreditur ;
Autumnal │ Autumnālis,
when it entreth in ) │ quando ingreditur )

the other of the Solstices, │ alter Solsticiōrum (solstitiōrum)
(of the Summer, │ (Æstīvī,
when the  entreth into quando  ingreditur 
of the Winter Hybernī (hībernī),
when it entreth into ) │ quando ingreditur )

the Tropicks, │ duo Tropicī
the Tropick of Cancer, │ Tr. Cancrī,
the Tropick of Capricorn, │ Tr. Capricornī,
and the two │ & duo
Polar Circles, │ Polārēs

[1]

horīzon, horizontis [3/m]: horizon > Engl. deriv. horizontal

aequātor, aequātōris [3/m]: [i] (Classical; rare) coin inspector; [ii] (Mediaeval) equator

colūrus, -ī [2/m]: colure (astronomical term; now rarely, if ever used)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colure

*aequinoctium, -ī [2/n]: equinox < aequus (equal) + nox (night); original text: aequinox(iōrum); possible misspelling or alternative during this period, but the spelling with /x/ is not attested)

aequinoctiālis, -e: (of / pertaing to) the equinox

sōlstitium, -ī [2/n]: solstice (in the text: solsticiōrum); again, note the same spelling shift of -ti- > -ci- which was also in an earlier section of this text: spaciō (CL: spatiō)

[2]

vernus, -a, -um; vernālis, -e: (of / pertaing to) spring; Engl. deriv. vernal

autumnālis, -e: (of / pertaing to) autumn; Engl. deriv. autumnal

aestīvus, -a, -um; aestivālis, -e: (of / pertaing to) summer; Engl. deriv. estival

hībernus, -a, -um (original text with /y/); hībernālis, -e: (of / pertaing to) winter; wintry

[3] “the Tropic(k)s”; used in the text as a noun

tropicus, -a, -um: tropical

tropicus Cancrī: the tropic of Cancer

tropicus Capricornī: the tropic of Capricorn

polāris, -e: (pertaining to) the poles


Hondius Map of America (1606)

From North to South …

SEPTENTRIŌ: North

AMERICA SEPTENTRIŌNĀLIS: North America

TROPICUS CANCRĪ: Tropic of Cancer

AEQUINOCTIĀLIS LĪNEA: equinoctial line; celestial equator

MARE PĀCIFICUM: Pacific ‘sea’ (Ocean)

AMERICA MERĪDIŌNĀLIS: Southern America

TROPICUS CAPRICORNĪ: Tropic of Capricon

TERRA AUSTRĀLIS: The ‘Southern Land’ (i.e. we’re pretty sure something’s there but we don’t know what it is yet, which is why the word incognita (unknown) is often added; it does not refer to Australia since it hadn’t been ‘discovered’ – apart from by the people who lived there).

MERĪDIĒS: South

Note the use of the long /s/ in Hiſpanis

And, for the benefit of the American members of this group (not that I wish a ‘debate’) …

It’s small, but it’s there …

SINUS MEXICĀNUS: the Gulf of Mexico; sinus, -ūs [4/m]: various meanings including [i] curve, fold; [ii] bosom, breast; [iii] gulf, bay

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