Uranus
/ˈjʊər.ən.əs/noun
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and, in Greek mythology, the primordial personification of the sky.
Did you know?In Hesiod’s creation myth, Uranus imprisoned his children inside Gaia, and his violent overthrow by Cronus became a foundational episode in Greek divine genealogy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (proposed)
PIE
*wérsōn
“A reconstructed form possibly meaning “the rainy one” or “moisture-bringer”; this connection is debated.”
Archaic Greek
Greek
Οὐρανός (Ouranós)
“The sky or the sky-god, a primordial divine figure.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Οὐρανός (Ouranós)
“Uranus, the personified heavens and consort of Gaia in Greek mythology.”
Latin
Latin
Ūranus
“The Latinized name of the Greek sky-god.”
1781
English
Uranus
“The name assigned to the newly recognized planet by the astronomer William Herschel’s era; it entered standard English planetary usage.”
Modern English
English
Uranus
“The seventh planet from the Sun, an ice giant named after the Greek personification of the sky.”