polaris
ポラリス
解説 Definition
Polaris は北極星を指す固有名詞で、こぐま座にある明るい星です。地球の北極のほぼ延長線上に見えるため、北の方角を知る目印として知られています。
Polaris is the proper name of the bright star commonly called the North Star. Located close to the north celestial pole, it appears nearly fixed in the northern sky and has long served as a useful guide for finding north.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
Polaris は pole「極」や polar「極地の」と結び付け、「極の星＝北極星」と覚えます。北の天の極の近くに見えるため、空の星々が動いても方角を知る目印になります。find north、the North Star、look for Polaris の組み合わせが典型です。星の固有名なので、見出しが小文字でも通常の英文では Polaris と大文字で書きます。
Connect Polaris with pole and polar: it is the star near the north celestial pole. Imagine sailors looking for it to identify north, while other stars appear to circle around that part of the sky. Common expressions include find Polaris, use Polaris to find north, and Polaris is the North Star. Because it is the proper name of a particular star, standard English writes it with a capital P. The word does not refer to every polar star; it specifically names the present North Star in Ursa Minor.
例文
Sailors once used Polaris to help them find north.
船乗りたちはかつて北を知るためにポラリスを利用しました。
Polaris is often called the North Star.
ポラリスはよく北極星と呼ばれます。
On a clear night, we looked for Polaris in the sky.
晴れた夜、私たちは空にポラリスを探しました。
polaris の類義語・関連語
polaris の語源・成り立ち Etymology
Polaris はラテン語 polaris「極の」に由来し、もとは stella polaris「極の星」の省略形です。さらに語源はギリシャ語 polos「軸・天の極」で、北極の近くに見える星だからこの名になったと納得できます。関連語は polar, pole。
Polaris comes from Latin polaris, meaning “of or relating to a pole.” It is short for the Neo-Latin name stella polaris, “polar star.” Latin polus, “pole or axis of the heavens,” was borrowed from Greek polos, “axis” or “celestial pole.” The star received this name because it lies close to the north celestial pole. Polar and pole are members of the same historical word family.
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