# Terra = Earth **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500 "2000-10-26T21:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/1 "2000-10-26T21:55:49Z")
An oft-encountered convention in science fiction is to call Earth not _Earth_, but _Terra_. Where and when did this practice originate? ---
**Author:** ![annalamerino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@annalamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annalamerino)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/2 "2000-10-26T22:11:13Z")
Rome. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/3 "2000-10-26T22:14:47Z")
Terra is Latin for dirt, earth, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/4 "2000-10-26T22:35:02Z")
At least we aren’t stuck with “Herschel”. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/5 "2000-10-27T12:53:38Z")
Thanks, but I knew Terra was Latin for Earth. I meant, when did it become a convention for anglophone sci-fi writers to use the term? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/6 "2000-10-27T13:06:50Z")
I suspect it originated in the 1930s. I don’t know who first called Earth “Terra” in a sf story, but I know that E.E. “Doc” Smith used the term “Tellus” for earth in his “Lensmen” series. The term is defensible. As far as other planet names, be grateful that they wisely stuck to classical names. You might not like the name “Uranus” because you can make a smarmy little joke out of it, but it was the first new planet to be discovered since antiquity. William Herschel got the honor of naming it, since he discovered it. His first impulse was to suck up to the King of England by calling it “Siderius Georgius”. Fortunately, either he changed his mind, or wiser heads prevailed. You might not like “Uranus”, but it’s a damned sight better than “George”. ---
**Author:** ![Ranma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Ranma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranma)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/7 "2000-10-27T13:27:27Z")
As a side note, Terra, in french, is spelled “Terre”. Pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/8 "2000-10-27T14:05:51Z")
as in _pommes de terre_, as epicure gourments know, a French gastronomic delight. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/9 "2000-10-27T14:24:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \* > \*\*as in _pommes de terre_, as epicure gourments know, a French gastronomic delight. \*\* Potatoes, for you laymen. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/10 "2000-10-27T14:38:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Connor \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by ishmintingas \* > > \*\*as in _pommes de terre_, as epicure gourments know, a French gastronomic delight. \*\* > > Potatoes, for you laymen. \*\* And, for you literalists “Earth apples” or “ground apples.” Which is really funny, since a “road apple” is a horse turd. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2000, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terra-earth/38500/11 "2000-10-27T15:05:25Z")
On _Futurama_ scientists have changed the name of the planet **Uranus** to get rid of all the dumb jokes. It is now called **Urectum**. 😃