Tellus

See also: tellus

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin tellus (“Earth, globe, world”), from Proto-Italic *telnos, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *telnos ~ *telnes-, from *telh₂- (“flat ground”), but reshaped after rūs. Otherwise, could derive from Etruscan 𐌕𐌖𐌋𐌀𐌓 (tular, “earth”).

Proper noun

Tellus

1. (Roman mythology) The goddess of the Earth in Roman mythology.

   Synonym: Terra

   • 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 37:

     Perhaps the Custome of the Beggars, throwing the remainder of drinke out of the Dish on the Ground, may be derived from an Ethnick sacrifice to Tellus.

   • 1992, Robert Harris, Fatherland, London: Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 27:

     Now they could see what the guide was telling them: that the pillars supporting the frontage were of red granite, mined in Sweden, flanked at either end by golden statues of Atlas and Tellus, bearing on their shoulders spheres depicting the heavens and the earth.

2. (literary, now chiefly science fiction) The planet Earth.

   Synonyms: Terra, Sol III

   • 1958, Edward E[lmer] Smith, The Skylark of Space, revised edition, Pyramid Books, page 121:

     "Greetings, oh guests from Tellus! I feel more like myself, now that I am again in my trappings and have my weapons at my side." He attached a timepiece to the wrist of each of the guests, with a bracelet of the blue metal. "Will you accompany me to fourth-meal or aren't you hungry?"

Derived terms

• Tellurian

Related terms

• tellurian
• telluric
• tellurium

References

• “Tellus”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “Tellus, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2025), “Tellus, n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.

Further reading

• Tellus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Tellūs.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtelːus/, [ˈt̪e̞lːus̠]
• Rhymes: -elːus
• Syllabification^(key): Tel‧lus
• Hyphenation^(key): Tel‧lus

Proper noun

Tellus

1. (astronomy) the planet Earth

   Synonyms: Maa, maapallo

Declension

Inflection of Tellus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)
nominative		Tellus	—
genitive		Telluksen	—
partitive		Tellusta	—
illative		Tellukseen	—
		singular	plural
nominative		Tellus	—
accusative	nom.	Tellus	—
	gen.	Telluksen
genitive		Telluksen	—
partitive		Tellusta	—
inessive		Telluksessa	—
elative		Telluksesta	—
illative		Tellukseen	—
adessive		Telluksella	—
ablative		Tellukselta	—
allative		Tellukselle	—
essive		Telluksena	—
translative		Tellukseksi	—
abessive		Telluksetta	—
instructive		—	—
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Tellus (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Tellukseni — accusative nom. Tellukseni — gen. Tellukseni genitive Tellukseni — partitive Tellustani — inessive Telluksessani — elative Telluksestani — illative Tellukseeni — adessive Telluksellani — ablative Tellukseltani — allative Tellukselleni — essive Telluksenani — translative Telluksekseni — abessive Telluksettani — instructive — — comitative — — second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Telluksesi — accusative nom. Telluksesi — gen. Telluksesi genitive Telluksesi — partitive Tellustasi — inessive Telluksessasi — elative Telluksestasi — illative Tellukseesi — adessive Telluksellasi — ablative Tellukseltasi — allative Telluksellesi — essive Telluksenasi — translative Tellukseksesi — abessive Telluksettasi — instructive — — comitative — — first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Telluksemme — accusative nom. Telluksemme — gen. Telluksemme genitive Telluksemme — partitive Tellustamme — inessive Telluksessamme — elative Telluksestamme — illative Tellukseemme — adessive Telluksellamme — ablative Tellukseltamme — allative Telluksellemme — essive Telluksenamme — translative Tellukseksemme — abessive Telluksettamme — instructive — — comitative — — second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Telluksenne — accusative nom. Telluksenne — gen. Telluksenne genitive Telluksenne — partitive Tellustanne — inessive Telluksessanne — elative Telluksestanne — illative Tellukseenne — adessive Telluksellanne — ablative Tellukseltanne — allative Telluksellenne — essive Telluksenanne — translative Tellukseksenne — abessive Telluksettanne — instructive — — comitative — — third-person possessor singular plural nominative Telluksensa — accusative nom. Telluksensa — gen. Telluksensa genitive Telluksensa — partitive Tellustaan Tellustansa — inessive Telluksessaan Telluksessansa — elative Telluksestaan Telluksestansa — illative Tellukseensa — adessive Telluksellaan Telluksellansa — ablative Tellukseltaan Tellukseltansa — allative Tellukselleen Telluksellensa — essive Telluksenaan Telluksenansa — translative Telluksekseen Tellukseksensa — abessive Telluksettaan Telluksettansa — instructive — — comitative — —

See also

Solar System in Finnish · Aurinkokunta (layout · text)
Star	Aurinko
IAU planets and notable dwarf planets	Merkurius	Venus	Maa (Tellus)	Mars	Ceres	Jupiter	Saturnus	Uranus	Neptunus	Pluto	Eris
Notable moons	—	—	Kuu	Phobos Deimos	—	Io Europa Ganymedes Kallisto	Mimas Enceladus Tethys Dione Rhea Titan Japetus	Miranda Ariel Umbriel Titania Oberon	Triton	Kharon	Dysnomia

Latin

Etymology

A personification of tellūs; see there for more.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛl.luːs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈtɛl.lus]

Noun

Tellūs f sg (genitive Tellūris); third declension

2. Earth
3. An ancient goddess of the Earth

Declension

Third-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Tellūs
genitive	Tellūris
dative	Tellūrī
accusative	Tellūrem
ablative	Tellūre
vocative	Tellūs

Descendants

• English: Tellurian, tellurian, tellurium, telluric

Norwegian

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

Jorda

Wikipedia ^no

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

Tellus (gudinne)

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology

From Latin Tellus.

Proper noun

Tellus

1. Earth
2. An ancient goddess of the Earth

References

• “Tellus” in The Bokmål Dictionary / The Nynorsk Dictionary.