A lua vista mundafora...

Lunar phases

Thread starterger4 Start dateFeb 14, 2015

ger4

Senior Member

German

Feb 14, 2015

#1

As far as I know, some East Asian languages have a large variety of expressions to describe the different moon phases. In spoken (colloquial) German, there are just about three main terms:

(1) Neumond = New Moon

(2) Halbmond - lit.: half moon ~ Crescent; Gibbous

(3) Vollmond = Full Moon

More accurately, we can make some more distinctions:

(2)(a) Zunehmender Mond - lit.: increasing moon ~ Waxing Crescent, Waxing Gibbous

(2)(b) Abnehmender Mond - lit.: decreasing moon ~ Waning Crescent, Waning Gibbous

What terms do you use in your language (or any other language you're familiar with, interested in, ...) ?

Encolpius

Encolpius

Senior Member

Prague

Hungarian

Feb 14, 2015

#2

Hungarian 1 újhold 2 félhold 3 telihold

ilocas2

Banned

Czech

Feb 14, 2015

#3

Czech:

nov - from nový (= new)

první čtvrť - first quarter

úplněk - from úplný (= complete), which is from plný (= full)

poslední čtvrť - last quarter

Měsíc dorůstá - moon is growing, is growing back

Měsíc couvá - moon is moving backwards

I don't know what are the most exact English translation of verbs dorůstat and couvat but they were chosen because of their beginning letters (they could chose different verbs for it) - DORŮSTAT begins on D, the moon has shape of D, COUVAT begins on C, the moon has shape of C.

other terms:

půlměsíc - 'halfmoon', crescent (from my experience this word is not used for the real moon on the sky, only for pictures of crescent)

srpek Měsíce - "crescent of moon", srpek is derived from srp (= sickle)

edit: I'm not sure about writting of capital M in the beginning of the word Měsíc, there are some rules for when sun and moon should be written with capital letters on the beginning and when they shouldn't be written with capital letters on the beginning.

Last edited: Feb 14, 2015

810senior

810senior

Senior Member

Japanese

Feb 14, 2015

#4

Hello, Holger2014.

In Japanese, we have each name in reference to the moon according to the date on the Lunar Calendar:

[1] day 1 : 新月 shingetsu (new moon)

[2] day 2 : 繊月 sengetsu(fiber moon)

[3] day 3 : 三日月 mikaduki (moon after three days)

[4] day 7 : 上弦の月 jo-gennotsuki (moon of the top chord)

[5] day 13 : 十三夜月 juusanyaduki(moon on the thirteenth night)

[6] day 14 : 小望月 komochiduki (moon before full moon)

[7] day 15 : 満月, 望月 mangetsu; mochiduki (full moon)

[8] day 16 : 十六夜 izayoi　(kanji transcription means night on the sixteenth day but the actual pronunciation izayoi means luring, temptation)

[9] day 17 : 立待月 tachimachiduki (moon that you are waiting by standing)

[10] day 18 : 居待月 imachiduki (moon that you are waiting by sitting down)

[11] day 19 : 寝待月 nemachiduki (moon that you are waiting in your sleeps)

[12] day 20 : 更待月 fukemachiduki (moon rising late)

[13] day 23 : 下弦の月 kagennotsuki (moon of the bottom chord)

[14] day 26 : 有明月 ariakeduki (moon at twilight)

[15] day 30 : 三十日月 misokaduki (moon on the thirtieth day)

Compared to English words:

New moon = singetsu, mikaduki

Crescent = mikaduki

Half moon = gengetsu(it means both jogen no tsuki and kagen no tsuki)

Full Moon = mangetsu

Gibbous = juusanyaduki

Waxing Crescent = sengetsu

Waning Crescent = ariakeduki

*I'm not sure what the adequate translation for waxing and waning gibbous is.

apmoy70

apmoy70

Senior Member

Attica, but of Thessalian origin

Greek

Feb 14, 2015

#5

In Greek, moon is «σελήνη» [seˈlini] (fem.) < Classical fem. noun «Σελήνη» Sĕlḗnē --> moon, name of moon-goddess (with unclear etymology).

Colloquially, moon is «φεγγάρι» [feŋˈgari] (neut.) < Byz. neuter diminutive «φεγγάριον» phengárion, of Classical neut. noun «φέγγος» pʰéngŏs --> light, splendour, lustre (with obscure etymology).

Lunar phases:

«Νέα Σελήνη» [ˈne.a seˈlini] (both fem.) --> New moon

«Αύξων Μηνίσκος» [ˈafkson miˈniskos] (both masc.) --> Waxing crescent; «Μηνίσκος» [miˈniskos] (masc.) literally means moon-sickle < Classical masc. noun «μηνίσκος» mēnískŏs, diminutive of 3rd decl. masc. noun «μήν» mḗn --> moon-sickle, month (PIE *meh₁nōt-/*mḗh₁n̥s-, moon, month cf Skt. मास (mā́sa), moon, one of the months of the Hindu year; Lith. mēnesis, month/mēness, moon; Lat. mensis, month > It. mese, Sp. mes, Por. mês, Fr. mois; Proto-Germanic *mēnô, moon > Ger. Mond, Eng. moon, Dt. maan, Isl. máni, D./Nor./Swe. måne; Proto-Germanic *mēnōþs, month > Ger. Monat, Eng. month, Dt. maand, Isl. mánuður, D./Nor. (Bokmål) måned, Nor. (Nynorsk)/Swe. månad; Arm. ամիս (amis), month; Alb. muaj, month).

«Πρώτο τέταρτο» [ˈpɾoto 'tetarto] (both neut.) --> First quarter

«Αύξων Αμφίκυρτος» [ˈafkson amˈficirtos] (both fem.) --> Waxing gibbous; «Αμφίκυρτος» [amˈficirtos] (masc. & fem.) literally means doubly convex < Classical adj. and nominalised adj. «ἀμφίκυρτος, -τος, -τον» ămpʰíkūrtŏs (masc. & fem.), ămpʰíkūrtŏn (neut.), a compound; prefix, preposition, and adv. «ἀμφί» āmpʰí --> around, on both sides (PIE *h₂nt-bʰi-, on both sides, around cf Skt. अभितस् (abhitas), towards; Tocharian B āntpi, both; Alb. mbi, at) + adj. «κυρτός» kūrtós (masc.) --> bulging, swelling (with unclear etymology).

«Πανσέληνος» [panˈselinos] (fem.) --> Full moon

«Φθίνων Αμφίκυρτος» [ˈfθinon amˈficirtos] (both fem.) --> Waning gibbous

«Τελευταίο τέταρτο» [teleˈfte.o 'tetarto] (both neut.) --> Last quarter

«Φθίνων Μηνίσκος» [ˈfθinon miˈniskos] (both masc.) --> Waning crescent

Radioh

Radioh

Senior Member

Sydney, Australia

Vietnamese

Feb 19, 2015

#6

Trăng khuyết(unfull moon)

Trăng tròn, trăng rằm(full moon)

Trăng non(new moon)

涼宮

涼宮

Senior Member

Sbaeneg/Castellano (Venezuela)

Feb 19, 2015

#7

810senior, you should write 'zu' instead of 'du' as it will confuse many people. There are several methods to romanize but using the one closer to the actual speech is best, ず and づ are pronounced the same after all :D.

In Spanish:

Luna Nueva (new moon)= New Moon

Luna Nueva Visible (visible new moon) = Waxing Crescent

Cuarto Creciente (Growing quarter)= First quarter

Luna Gibosa Creciente (Gibbous growing moon)= Waxing Gibbous

Luna Llena (full moon)= Full moon

Luna Gibosa Menguante (Gibbous waning moon) = Waning gibbous

Cuarto Menguante (Waning quarter)= Last quarter

Luna Menguante (waning moon)= Waning Crescent

Luna Negra (black moon) = last phase of the moon. Apparently there's no specific name for this in English, it just starts again with new moon.

Last edited: Feb 19, 2015

810senior

810senior

Senior Member

Japanese

Feb 19, 2015

#8

涼宮 said:

810senior, you should write 'zu' instead of 'du' as it will confuse many people. There are several methods to romanize but using the one closer to the actual speech is best, ず and づ are pronounced the same after all :D.

I should have done that. thanks!

ger4

Senior Member

German

Feb 20, 2015

#9

Encolpius, ilocas2, 810senior, apmoy70, Radioh and Suzumiya, thanks a lot for your replies!

810senior said:

In Japanese, we have each name in reference to the moon according to the date on the Lunar Calendar:

[1] day 1 : 新月 shingetsu (new moon)

[2] day 2 : 繊月 sengetsu(fiber moon)

[3] day 3 : 三日月 mikaduki (moon after three days)

[4] day 7 : 上弦の月 jo-gennotsuki (moon of the top chord)

[5] day 13 : 十三夜月 juusanyaduki(moon on the thirteenth night)

[6] day 14 : 小望月 komochiduki (moon before full moon)

[7] day 15 : 満月, 望月 mangetsu; mochiduki (full moon)

[8] day 16 : 十六夜 izayoi　(kanji transcription means night on the sixteenth day but the actual pronunciation izayoi means luring, temptation)

[9] day 17 : 立待月 tachimachiduki (moon that you are waiting by standing)

[10] day 18 : 居待月 imachiduki (moon that you are waiting by sitting down)

[11] day 19 : 寝待月 nemachiduki (moon that you are waiting in your sleeps)

[12] day 20 : 更待月 fukemachiduki (moon rising late)

[13] day 23 : 下弦の月 kagennotsuki (moon of the bottom chord)

[14] day 26 : 有明月 ariakeduki (moon at twilight)

[15] day 30 : 三十日月 misokaduki (moon on the thirtieth day)

Compared to English words:

New moon = singetsu, mikaduki

Crescent = mikaduki

Half moon = gengetsu(it means both jogen no tsuki and kagen no tsuki)

Full Moon = mangetsu

Gibbous = juusanyaduki

Waxing Crescent = sengetsu

Waning Crescent = ariakeduki

*I'm not sure what the adequate translation for waxing and waning gibbous is.

This list is really impressive - and somehow you managed to keep it all clear and easily readable... thanks again, 810senior.

As for the Romanization: I think it doesn't really matter whether you write tu/du/si or tsu/zu/shi - we non-Japanese people mispronounce everything anyway :)

Mauicupcake

Mauicupcake

New Member

Hawaiian

Dec 16, 2015

#10

hawaiian-lunar-phases.png

Hawaiian moon phases. Fishing and farming depended heavidly on the moon. "Mahina".

In any other language or culture, is there a word or story for a bowl shaped moon? Here it's Kā'elo, and it's considered a good moon for fishing. Ive heard the term "wet moon" or "dry moon" In some cultures. Just curious*:)

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 16, 2015

rusita preciosa

rusita preciosa

Modus forendi

USA (Φιλαδέλφεια)

Russian (Moscow)

Dec 17, 2015

#11

Russian:

New moon: новолуние /novolunie/ - lit., "new-moon-ness"

Half moon: первая четверть /pervaya tchevert/, последняя четверть /poslednyaya tchetvert/ - first quarter, last quarter

Full moon: полнолуние /polnolunie/ - " full-moon-ness"

Waxing gibbous - прибывающая луна /pribyvaushaya luna/- increasing/arriving moon

Waning gibbous - убывающая луна /ubyvaushaya luna/- decreasing/departing moon

mataripis

mataripis

Senior Member

NCR,Luzon,Pilipinas

Tagalog

Dec 17, 2015

#12

I remember in Tagalog terms, full moon-kabilugan, new moon-bagong buwan. waxing crescent- pabilog, waning crescent-patunaw, half moon- hati', quarter- sangkapat.

franknagy

franknagy

Senior Member

Budapest, Hungría

húngara

Dec 18, 2015

#13

Hungarian , added expressions:

holdfogyatkozás = lunar eclipse,

holdkóros = lunatic.

Medune

Senior Member

Portuguese- Portugal/Brazil

Mar 21, 2016

#14

In Portuguese:

New moon: lua nova (lit. new moon)

Waxing moon: lua crescente (lit.waxing moon)

Half moon: meia lua (lit. half moon) neither used in calendars nor widely spoken.

Full moon: lua cheia (lut. full moon)

lua minguante (lit. waining moon)

More specific terms:

Waxing gibbous: gibosa crescente

Waning gibbous: gibosa minguante

First quarter: quarto crescente (lit. waxing quarter)

Third quarter: quarto minguante (lit.waning quarter)

Last edited: Mar 21, 2016

momai

Senior Member

Ar

Mar 21, 2016

#15

Arabic:

New Moon=al-muhaaq المحاق (root: m-H-q to wipe out )

Waxing Crescent=al-hilaal al-mutazayid الهلال المتزايد (root h-l-l to come out/be shown )

First quarter=al-tarbii3 al-'wal التربيع الأول (root : r-b-3 quarter )

Waxing Gibbous=al-'Hdab al-mutazayid الأحدب المتزايد ( root :H-d-b convex/gibbous)

Full moon=al-badr البدر (root :b-d-r to begin)

Waning gibbous=al-'Hdab al-mutanaqiS الأحدب المتناقص

Last quarter=al-tarbii3 al-thani التربيع الثاني

Waning Crescent =al-hilaal al-mutanaqiS الهلال المتناقص