Вопрос школьника
Discuss the questions in pairs and make some guesses. Share them with your classmates.
1 Why was the Black Sea given its name?
2 Why was the Pacific Ocean given its name and what does «pacific» mean?
Ответ от учителя
1. There are several theories about why the Black Sea was given its name. One theory suggests that the name comes from the color of the water, which appears dark due to the lack of oxygen in the deeper parts of the sea. Another theory suggests that the name comes from the fact that the sea is surrounded by dark, forested mountains. It is also possible that the name comes from the ancient Greek word «Pontos Euxeinos,» which means «hospitable sea,» but was mistranslated as «Black Sea» by later scholars.
2. The Pacific Ocean was named by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who called it «Mar Pacifico» or «peaceful sea» because of its calm waters. The word «pacific» comes from the Latin word «pacificus,» which means «peaceful» or «calm.» It is likely that Magellan named the ocean this way because he encountered calm waters during his voyage across it. However, it is also possible that he named it in contrast to the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
