Neptunian
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /nɛpˈtjuː.nɪ.ən/
ipa: /nɛpˈt(j)u.ni.ən/
ipa: /-ˈtʃuː-/
Forms: form: neptunian
Etymology: From Latin Neptūnius (“of or pertaining to the Roman god Neptune”), from Neptūnus (“the Roman god Neptune”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nebʰ- (“to become damp, cloudy”)) + -ius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns); analysable as Neptune + -ian. The English word is cognate with French neptunien (“pertaining to the Roman god Neptune, pertaining to the sea, pertaining to Neptunism, Neptunian; proponent of Neptunism, Neptunist”), German Neptunier (“proponent of Neptunism, Neptunist”).
Senses: examples: text: Near-synonym: Poseidonian
text: The Tomb disburd'ning, whence the Ghoſt aroſe / Of great Achilles; Such when Thracian Foes / (The Prelude of thy Fates, Troy!) he o'rethrew, / And the white hair'd Neptunian Cycnus [i.e., Neptune's son] ſlew.
ref: 1679, Lucius Annaeus Seneca [i.e., Seneca the Younger], translated by Edward Sherburne, Troades: Or The Royal Captives. A Tragedy, Written Originally in Latin, […], London: Printed by Anne Godbid, and John Playford, for Samuel Carr, […], →OCLC, act II, scene i, page 21:
topics: human-sciences
mysticism
mythology
philosophy
sciences
glosses: Of or pertaining to Neptune, the Roman god of fresh water and the sea, the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon.
examples: text: Tyrian garbs, / Neptunian Albion's high teſtaceous food [i.e., oysters], / And flavour'd Chian wines with incenſe fum'd / To ſlake Patrician thirſt: for theſe, their rights / In the vile ſtreets they proſtitute to ſale; / Their ancient rights, their dignities, their laws, / Their native glorious freedom.
ref: 1740, John Dyer, “The Ruins of Rome. A Poem.”, in Poems. … Viz. I. Grongar Hill. II. The Ruins of Rome. III. The Fleece, in Four Books, London: Printed by John Hughs, for Messrs. R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1759, →OCLC, pages 42–43:
text: Where the inſulting ſtreams of Chaos roar, / Where boiſt'rous waves the rugged ſhores ſurround, / And ſtorms and whirlwinds in the air abound, / There meet two rivals of Neptunian race, / Hoſtilities begin with fierce grimace: [...]
ref: 1774 November, G. D., “The Tar’s Engagement”, in Sylvanus Urban [pseudonym; Edward Cave], editor, The Gentleman’s Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, volume XLIV, London: Printed […], for D[avid] Henry, and sold by F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC, page 534, column 1:
text: Since lately the Neptunian admiral (Sextus Pompeius) when driven from the sea, fled with his burnt ships, having menaced those chains to Rome, which as a friend he had taken off from perfidious slaves.
ref: 1830, Horace, “Ode IX. To Mæcenas.”, in William Smart, transl., Horace Literally Translated for the Use of Students, London: Printed for Whittaker, Treacher & Co., […], →OCLC, page 105:
glosses: Of or pertaining to water or the sea.
examples: text: neptunian dyke
text: A special character of these mounds [the Kess-Kess carbonate mud mounds] is the numerous Neptunian dikes. These are fracture systems, which have been filled with other sediments and minerals. It is suspected that these dikes represent spring conduits (seeps) during the formation of the mounds, and that the seeping fluids were of a hydrothermal nature [...].
ref: 2008, Martin Hovland, “Ancient and Modern Analogues”, in Deep-water Coral Reefs: Unique Biodiversity Hot-spots (Springer–Praxis Books in Life Sciences Incorporating Aquatic and Marine Sciences), Dordrecht; Berlin: Springer; Chichester, West Sussex: Praxis Publishing, →ISBN, section 7.3.2 (Kess-Kess Formations, Morocco), page 170:
topics: geography
geology
natural-sciences
glosses: Formed by the action of water.
examples: text: In the Neptunian ſyſtem it is ſuppoſed that the poſitions of the ſtrata have been determined, partly by the figure of the baſe or ground on which they have been depoſited, and partly by their depoſition having been a ſpecies of cryſtallization.
ref: 1802, [John Murray], “Part III. Of the Arguments in Support of the Huttonian and Neptunian Theories, from the Positions of the Strata of the Globe.”, in A Comparative View of the Huttonian and Neptunian Systems of Geology: In Answer to the Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth, by Professor [John] Playfair, Edinburgh: Printed for Ross and Blackwood, […]; London: T. N. Longman, and G. Rees, →OCLC, page 106:
text: In several important cases, it is difficult to determine to what degree the metamorphosis has extended, since it remains uncertain whether the form and structural relations of the mountain-mass are to be considered as remains of the neptunian sedimentary formation, or as a product of the metamorphosis itself; for the original form of the neptunian, as well as of the volcanic sedimentary rocks have often become so changed by erosion, and so much alike in both classes of rocks, that this distinctive character is wholly lost; [...]
ref: 1848 April, B[ernhard] Studer, “On Mineral Metamorphism”, in Robert Jameson, editor, The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, Exhibiting a View of the Progressive Discoveries and Improvements in the Sciences and the Arts, volume XLIV, number LXXXVIII, Edinburgh: Adam & Charles Black; London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, →OCLC, page 372:
topics: geography
geology
natural-sciences
glosses: Of, pertaining to, or supporting Neptunism (“a discredited theory that rocks were formed from the crystallisation of minerals in the early Earth's oceans”).
Derived terms: topics: geology
geography
natural-sciences
word: neptunian dike
topics: geology
geography
natural-sciences
word: neptunian dyke
Related terms: Neptune
Neptune grass
Neptunism
Neptunist