Until 1920s people believed that there is only one Galaxy that contains all the stars. So the Greek word Galaxy was translated as the Milky Way in English. But why?
Word Galaxy originates from Greek word Galaxias (Γαλαξίας) that originates from the word γάλα (gala – meaning milk). Why Greek gave this name? Stars inspired ancient Greeks to make myths about their Gods. So when Ancient Greeks (probably Achaeans) saw all these star almost together they imagined them like milk that was fallen in the night sky. But why someone to drop milk on the night sky?
Everyone knows the “love” of Goddess Hera for the bastard Zeus’ son, Hercules. But not many know that Hercules became immortal by drinking the milk of Hera. He was so strong that he milked her so strong that her pain dropped the baby Hercules away but still the milk was dropping and created the Galaxy. They are 2 versions how they persuade her to do it. One is that Hermes did it when she was sleeping and the other that Athena took her in the place that Alkmini (Hercules’ mother) left him by fear of Hera’s menace. Hera didn’t understand who was and feed him. After Athena returned him but to his mother.
So know we know the origin of the name Milky Way and word galaxies too. It is originates from the Greek word milk. The fun fact about this that in English the name of our Galaxy is Milky Way but in Greek it is just “The Galaxy”.
But why Greeks don’t have different name for our galaxy? The reason is that we used the word Γαλαξίας (Galaxias) and in English the decided to go for all other Galaxies (when they found them) from the Greek word for the Milky way so to keep it more easy with the international terminology.
2 comments