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ArchivesRe: Ether?
in reply to a message by Sabertooth
I highly doubt the name derives from ethereal, and is more likely that ethereal derives from the word ether as ether was noted in use as a word in the 14th century, while ethereal wasn't used until 1510.
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Don't look at the word "ethereal," look at its etymology. Ether meant the element/medium/substance/domain of [the heavens] up until 1905. You said it showed up in the 1880s.
Ether's use as "heaven-substance" predates its use as a name for an anesthetic. In the time that you asked about, the older of the two meanings is the most likely.
Jules Verne's 1865 novel "From the Earth to the Moon" popularized the notion of ether (without an "a") as a space substance, and it fits with its timing on your list. (Uncharacteristic of contemporary scientific jargon, "ether" was used as both a scientific term AND a poetic one.)
Ether's use as "heaven-substance" predates its use as a name for an anesthetic. In the time that you asked about, the older of the two meanings is the most likely.
Jules Verne's 1865 novel "From the Earth to the Moon" popularized the notion of ether (without an "a") as a space substance, and it fits with its timing on your list. (Uncharacteristic of contemporary scientific jargon, "ether" was used as both a scientific term AND a poetic one.)
This message was edited 8/17/2014, 6:10 PM
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I did look at the etymology of both the word ethereal and ether.
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Did the frequency of this name decline after 1905?
(My check put it in the top 1K, last, in 1910. That, too, would be consistent with my hypothesis.)
How many incidents of this name did it take to be ranked #9XX?
(My check put it in the top 1K, last, in 1910. That, too, would be consistent with my hypothesis.)
How many incidents of this name did it take to be ranked #9XX?
This message was edited 8/16/2014, 3:27 PM
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