Neptune
/ˈnɛp.tjuːn/noun
The Roman god of the sea, and the eighth planet from the Sun.
Did you know?Neptune’s name comes from the Roman sea god Neptūnus, probably tied to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “moist” or “wet,” which is why his domain is literally the world of water and fertility.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nep-
“likely “moist, damp””
Ancient Latin
Latin
Neptūnus
“Roman god of freshwater and the sea”
Classical Latin
Latin
Neptūnus
“the deity’s name used in Roman religion and literature”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Neptūnus
“the planet’s name in Latin astronomical tradition”
Modern English
English
Neptune
“the Roman sea god or the eighth planet from the Sun”