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Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859

"COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1"


If we now pass from the consideration of the vaporous matter of the
immeasurable regions of space [(Greek)*] -- whether scattered without
definite form and limits, it exists as a cosmical other, or is condensed
into nebulous spots, and becomes comprised among the solid agglomerated
bodies of the universe -- we approach a class of phenomena exclusively
designated by the form of stars, or as the sidereal world.

[footnote] *I should have made use, in the place of garden of the universe,
of the beautiful expression [Greek], borrowed by Hesychius from an unknown
poet, if [Greek] had not rather signified in general an inclosed space. The
connection with the German 'garten' and the English 'garden', 'gards' in
Gothic (derived according to Jacob Grimm, from 'gairdan', 'to gird'), is,
however, evident, as is likewise the affinity with the Slavonic 'grad',
'gorod', and as Pott remarks, in his 'Etymol. Forschungen', th. i., s. 144
(Etymol. Researches), with the Latin 'chors', whence we have the Spanish
'corte', the French 'cour', and the English word 'court', together with the
Ossetic 'khart'. To these may be further added the Scandinavian 'gard',**
'gard', a place inclosed, as a court, or a country seat, and the Persian
'gerd', 'gird', a district, a circle, a princely country seat, a castle or
city, as we find the term applied to the names of places in Firdusi's
Schahnameh, as 'Siyawakschgird', 'Darabgird', etc.


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