Terra

See also: terra, tèrra, terrà, and Tèrra

English

Etymology

From Latin Terra (“goddess of the earth; the land itself”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛɹə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛɹə
• Homophone: terror (non-rhotic)

Proper noun

Terra

1. (Roman mythology) The Roman earth goddess, equivalent in the interpretatio graeca to Gaea.
3. (astronomy) The planet Earth.
4. A female given name.

Usage notes

• In English, the usage of Terra as a name for the planet Earth is particularly common among science fiction writers.
• Terra had been used for many centuries in the scientific community due to the use of Latin as the international scientific language. The name Terra, as well as other names in different languages (e.g. Earth from English, Terre from French), are formally adopted by the IAU (International Astronomical Union) members.

Synonyms

• (goddess): Tellus, Gaea, Gaia
• (planet): Earth, Sol III

Derived terms

• terraform
• Terran
• Terranian

Related terms

• Aphrodite Terra
• Arabia Terra
• Terra Nivium

Translations

the Planet Earth — see Earth

Roman goddess

• Japanese: テラ (ja) (Tera)
• Polish: Terra (pl) f

See also

• terrestrial, extraterrestrial
• ♁, 🜨

Anagrams

• Arter, arrêt, arter, rater, retar, tarre

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈte̞.rə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Central) [ˈtɛ.rə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈtɛ.ra]

Proper noun

Terra f

2. Earth

See also

• terra

• planets of the Solar System: planetes del sistema solar: Mercuri · Venus · Terra · Mart · Júpiter · Saturn · Urà · Neptú ^[edit]

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛra̝/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Terra f

2. Earth

See also

• terra

• planets of the Solar System: planetas do sistema solar: Mercurio · Venus · Terra · Marte · Xúpiter · Saturno · Urano · Neptuno ^[edit]

Italian

Etymology

From terra (“land”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛr.ra/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: terra
• Rhymes: -ɛrra
• Hyphenation: Tèr‧ra

Proper noun

Terra f

2. (astronomy) Earth

See also

• planets of the Solar System: pianeti del sistema solare: Mercurio · Venere · Terra · Marte · Giove · Saturno · Urano · Nettuno ^[edit]

Solar System in Italian · sistema solare (layout · text)
Star	Sole
IAU planets and notable dwarf planets	Mercurio	Venere	Terra	Marte	Cerere	Giove	Saturno	Urano	Nettuno	Plutone	Eris (Eride)
Notable moons	—	—	Luna	Fobos Deimos	—	Io Europa Ganimede Callisto	Mimas Encelado Teti Dione Rea Titano Giapeto	Miranda Ariel Umbriel Titania Oberon	Tritone	Caronte	Disnomia

Latin

Etymology

From terra (“earth”), to distinguish the goddess or planet from its other senses.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛr.ra]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛr.ra]

Proper noun

Terra f sg (genitive Terrae); first declension

1. (Roman mythology) Terra (goddess of the Earth)
2. (New Latin, astronomy) the Earth (planet)

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Terra
genitive	Terrae
dative	Terrae
accusative	Terram
ablative	Terrā
vocative	Terra

Norwegian Bokmål

The Earth photographed by the Apollo 17 crew.

Terra (Tellus Mater) reclining with the Seasons beneath Aion in a Roman mosaic from Sentinum.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Terra (“the Earth; Terra, the personified Earth”), from Latin terra (“earth, land, ground”), from Proto-Italic Proto-Italic *terzā, from Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European *ters-eh₂, from *ters- (“to dry”). The Latin noun originally referred to the “dry [land]”, in contrast to water or the sky.

The astronomical use continues the Latin name for the Earth. The mythological use reflects the personification of the earth as a divine figure, especially Latin Terra Mater (“Mother Earth”), closely identified with Tellūs (“Tellus”).

Parallel astronomical forms include Catalan Terra, Galician Terra, Italian Terra, Portuguese Terra, Spanish Tierra, French Terre and English Terra (“Earth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtærː.a/, [ˈtæɾːa]
• Rhymes: -ærːa
• Homophone: terra
• Hyphenation: Ter‧ra

Proper noun

Terra

1. (astronomy) Earth; the third planet from the Sun in the Solar System, and the planet inhabited by humans

   Terra er den tredje planeten fra sola. ― Earth is the third planet from the Sun.

   Synonyms: jorda, jorden, Tellus

   • 2025 February 21, Stian Torjussen, “Tellus”, in Store norske leksikon:

     Tellus og Terra (som betyr det samme) brukes som astronomisk betegnelse for planeten Jorden.

     Tellus and Terra (which mean the same thing) are used as astronomical designations for the planet Earth.

2. (Roman mythology) Terra; the Roman personification of the Earth, closely identified with the earth goddess Tellus and especially known as Terra Mater (“Mother Earth”); corresponding to the Greek goddess Gaia

   Romerne personifiserte jorden som Terra Mater. ― The Romans personified the earth as Terra Mater.

   Synonym: Tellus

   • 2021 November 28, Simon Taarnskov Aabech, “Hvor har planetene og stjernebildene navnene sine fra?”, in forskning.no:

     det romerske ordet for jorden, Terra, endte med å inngå i navnet på gudinnen Terra Mater, «Moder Jord»

     the Roman word for the earth, Terra, came to form part of the name of the goddess Terra Mater, “Mother Earth”

Usage notes

• As an astronomical designation, Terra is used especially in scientific contexts. Tellus has traditionally been more common in poetry and literature, while jorda and jorden are the ordinary Norwegian names for the planet.
• Capitalized Terra should be distinguished from lowercase terra, an indeclinable common noun meaning “earth, land”, especially found in expressions of Latin origin.

Related terms

• terra (“earth, land”)
• terrarium (“terrarium”)
• terreng (“terrain”)
• terrasse (“terrace”)
• terrestrisk (“terrestrial”)
• territorium (“territory”)

See also

Solar System in Norwegian Bokmål · solsystemet (layout · text)
Star	sola ~ solen
IAU planets and notable dwarf planets	Merkur	Venus	jorda ~ jorden (Tellus)	Mars	Ceres	Jupiter	Saturn	Uranus	Neptun	Pluto	Eris
Notable moons	—	—	månen	Phobos Deimos	—	Io Europa Ganymedes Callisto	Mimas Enceladus Tethys Dione Rhea Titan Iapetus	Miranda Ariel Umbriel Titania Oberon	Triton	Charon	Dysnomia

Anagrams

• arter, rater

References

• Michiel de Vaan (2008), “terra”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden: Brill, p. 616.
• “terra” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “Tellus”, Store norske leksikon
• Simon Taarnskov Aabech (28 November 2021), “Hvor har planetene og stjernebildene navnene sine fra?”, forskning.no

Portuguese

Terra

Etymology

From Latin terra.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈtɛ.hɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈtɛ.hɐ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈtɛ.χɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ʁɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛʁɐ
• Homophone: terra
• Hyphenation: Ter‧ra

Proper noun

Terra f

2. Earth

See also

• planets of the Solar System: planetas do sistema solar: Mercúrio · Vénus (Portugal)~Vênus (Brazil) · Terra · Marte · Júpiter · Saturno · Urano~Úrano · Neptuno (Portugal)~Netuno (Brazil) ^[edit]