1734: uranus and urinate Sep 13, 2019

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There's a joke that the planet 'Uranus' sounds like 'your anus', but that's not so far off. Although the etymology is disputed, the most probable source comes from the enlarged form of *ṷorsó- from the Greek for 'to urinate'. It's related through the Proto-Indo-European root to the Sanskrit várṣati 'to rain' and from there the connection to clouds, and the god thereof, might make more sense. Indeed, the name 'Uranus' (or 'Ouranos') might be better translated as 'rainmaker', historo-etymologically speaking, than just the god of the sky.
For more on Uranus, see the 7-part series on naming the cosmos.

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