The Etymology of Galaxy

by Ben Atlas on 12.11.2009.1:48am · 0 comments

I was in a Greek coffee shop and a woman was ordering milk in Greek. I asked her again about milk in Greek and she said “it’s Chalo like Galaxy”. Indeed the name Galaxy comes from galaxias (γαλαξίας), or kyklos galaktikos, meaning “milky circle”. And galacto becomes Latin lacto, the source of lactose. You noticed that the Greek Chalo is not far from the Hebrew Chalav.

Further Reading:
The Etymology of the Word Tsar, Princess Zoe, Zachariah the Jew and the Worst Political Move in Papal History

Avrom Ber Gotlober on the Etymology of “Chassidim”

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