'Extra Terrestrial'..... Isn't this an odd description?

If this has been discussed before please just direct me with the appropriate links.

If not, I wonder if anyone else has thought about this or has any views on it.

I was thinking earlier about the term or name 'Extra Terrestrial'. Who came up with the term? Was it governments? Was it the media?

Now I know it's a term/phrase that is used here on a daily basis but has anyone really thought about what it means.....because in alot of stories/situations the literal meaning of this makes no sense at all.....

Extra = additional, added, ancillary, another, further, more, supplementary

Terrestrial = In a general sense, things having to do with land or with the planet Earth; earthlike.

If for example a new spieces of plant or animal is discovered on this planet this term could be used as they would truly be an 'Extra Terrestrial' another being of this planet.....

Alien's by definition can't be called 'Extra Terrestrial Being's' because they are not a terrestrial being......

So why are they called this?

Could it be that they really are terrestrial beings and have been here all along? If so isnt the name/description of them so obvious? Maybe it was an admission of some sort by people who had first contact with 'them'.....

What can we call it? Well we can't really tell anyone that we are not at the top of the apex on this planet so we'll refer to them as 'Extra Terrestrial Beings'.....because we found them here......

Has this made any sense to anyone or am I just reading too much in to it?

MR

Ive always thought of the "Extra" meaning above or on top because its sometimes used in that sense. so Extra= Above & Terrestrial = Earth
Above the Earth

Originally posted by Kr0n0s
Ive always thought of the "Extra" meaning above or on top because its sometimes used in that sense. so Extra= Above & Terrestrial = Earth
Above the Earth

Never really thought about it that way......but thats not what extra means.

MR

i do not see any problem with " extra terrestrial "

extra can also mean out side , beyond ,

as in :

extra curricular activity .

extra cellular , a biology term

the antonym of " extra cellular " is "intra cellular "

see how it makes some sense now , extra = outside , intra = inside ?

this definition of " extra " is not widely used , but its not archaic , and still perfectly valid english

hope this helps

there is no such thing as a dumb question - but there are some dumb answers

Extra can have more than one meaning, it doesnt exactly mean added or additional.
It is also used to describe something thats beyond for example..
extraordinary= beyond or "above" ordinary and would make more sense than "added-ordinary" or "additional-ordinary"
Look it up.. google "the meaning of extra"
So using that logic the word Extra Terrestrial would mean "Beyond Earth" or Above Earth"

wow, i gotta be up in 2 hours im off to bed lol

[edit on 8-2-2007 by Kr0n0s]

Perhaps the OP was referring to the fact that to the uninformed, it sounds like it could mean "extra earthly", more earthly than humans?



I have to admit, that I've never given the term much thought before.

It's from latin. "extra" in latin means "outside", "outside of" or "beyond".

So extra-terrestrial is "outside of earth".

Vas

Extra means additional as it's usually used. "Is there anything extra?" Is there anything additional or else? So obviously, it means something additional or other to earth.

That's how I've thought of it.

I think it's a very good word. Grey's have come/been here since the beginning so they are Terrestrial but they also have come from and can travel anywhere so they can also add Extra to that.