Name and Etymology
- The traditional name Alula' (share with ν UMa) comes from the Arabic phrase Al Ḳafzah al Ūla "the First Spring". The term Australis meaning "the south side" in Latin.
- In Chinese, 三台 (Sān Tái), meaning Three Steps, refers to an asterism consisting of ξ Ursae Majoris, ι Ursae Majoris, κ Ursae Majoris, λ Ursae Majoris, μ Ursae Majoris and ν Ursae Majoris. Consequently, ξ Ursae Majoris itself is known as 三台六 (Sān Tái liù, English: the Sixth Star of Three Steps) and 下台二 (Xià Tái èr, English: Star of Second Lower Step).
Read more about this topic: Xi Ursae Majoris
Famous quotes containing the words name and and/or etymology:
“Name any name and then remember everybody you ever knew who bore than name. Are they all alike. I think so.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)