Naming and Etymology
- The name Mirach, and its variations, such as Mirac, Mirar, Mirath, Mirax, etc. (the name is spelled Merach in Burritt's The Geography of the Heavens) come from the star's description in the Alfonsine Tables of 1521 as super mizar. Here, mirat is a corruption of the Arabic ميزر mīzar "girdle", which appeared in a Latin translation of the Almagest. This word refers to Mirach's position at the left hip of the princess Andromeda.
- Medieval astronomers writing in Arabic called β Andromedae Janb al-Musalsalah (English: The Side of the Chained (Lady)); it was part of the 26th manzil (Arabian lunar mansion) Batn al-Hũt, the Belly of the Fish, or Qalb al-Hũt, the Heart of the Fish. The star has also been called Cingulum and Ventrale. This al-Hũt was an indigenous Arabic constellation, not the Western "Northern Fish" part of the constellation Pisces. These names are not from the Arabic marãqq, loins, because it was never called al-Marãqq in Arabian astronomy. Al Rishã', the Cord (of the well-bucket), on al-Sũfĩ's star map. It is origin of the proper name Alrescha for Alpha Piscium.
- In Chinese, 奎宿 (Kuí Sù), meaning Legs (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of β Andromedae, η Andromedae, 65 Piscium, ζ Andromedae, ε Andromedae, δ Andromedae, π Andromedae, ν Andromedae, μ Andromedae, σ Piscium, τ Piscium, 91 Piscium, υ Piscium, φ Piscium, χ Piscium and ψ¹ Piscium. Consequently, β Andromedae itself is known as 奎宿九 (Kuí Sù jiǔ, English: the Ninth Star of Legs.)
- The people of Micronesia named this star as Kyyw "The Porpoise", and become once of Micronesian month name.
- Mirach is listed in MUL.APIN as KA.MUSH.I.KU.E, meaning "the Deleter" (the alternative star is α Cas).
Read more about this topic: Beta Andromedae
Famous quotes containing the words naming and/or etymology:
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“Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.”
—Stephen Bayley, British historian, art critic. “Taste: The Story of an Idea,” Taste: The Secret Meaning of Things, Random House (1991)