Galactica
/ɡəˈlæk.tɪ.kə/noun
A feminine Latinized form meaning “milky,” used in modern English chiefly as a proper name, especially in Battlestar Galactica.
Did you know?The name ultimately connects the Milky Way with milk itself: ancient Greeks called the galaxy galaxías kýklos, the “milky circle.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵlǵkt-
“Milk; the reconstructed root behind later milk-related words”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gála, galakt-
“Milk; the stem used in compounds referring to milk”
Ancient Greek
Greek
galaxías kýklos
“Milky circle, the Greek name for the Milky Way”
Classical Latin
Latin
galactica
“Milky; a feminine form derived from Greek galakt-”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Galactica
“A Latinized scientific or taxonomic form associated with milk-white or galactic qualities”
1978–Present
English
Galactica
“A proper name popularized internationally by the science-fiction franchise Battlestar Galactica”