I was playing “Colonization” the other day and noticed something interesting. In the Opening sequence, you have a ship sailing from Europe through one of those “Here be monsters” maps that were common at the time. At one point the ship sails past “Terra Incognita”, which I know well enough(and it sounds pretty cool, besides). However, as the ship leaves, Europe, it sails into “Oceanus Occidetalis”. Oceanus is pretty obvious, even for a non-latin person like myself, but what about the other part?
I’ve even noticed this in a book about exploration through the ages.
I’m pretty sure occidentalis means “western.” Much of what I learned during the six years I studied latin has been lost, but I’m as close to positive as I can get on this one.
In days of yore, when East Asia was “the Orient,” the European-American civilization was “the Occident.” It’s derived from Latin occidens, “Western” – and that in turn appears to be derived from “place where the Sun goes down” in meaning.
Yup, occidentalis from occidens, present participle of occido, occidere, to fall or set - opposite of orientalis, from oriens, present participle of orior, oriri, to rise.
Not that I have a Collins Latin dictionary handy or anything.
There was some question about intent when the pilot of the steamship Great Western ran over the dolphin, but the conclusion was that he did it occidentally on porpoise.