June 19, 2011
- ocean (noun)
- \OH-shun\
- What does it mean?
- 1 : the whole body of salt water that covers nearly three fourths of the surface of the earth2 : one of the large bodies of water into which the ocean is divided
- How do you use it?
- We hiked to the top of the mountain where we had an incredible view of the ocean.
- Are you a word wiz?
We can trace the origins of "ocean" to the name "Okeanus" in Greek mythology. Who or what do you think "Okeanus" was?
The ancient Greeks thought the earth was flat and that the ocean was a huge river. They called the river "Okeanus," and they believed that beyond the river to the west was a place that had no sun. "Okeanus" was also the name of a Titan, or giant, believed to rule over the great river. Over time, people began to use "Okeanus" similarly to the way we use "ocean" today. Latin speakers adopted the name as "oceanus," which passed into French as "occean" and eventually became "ocean" in English.
