.png)
The first person to fly into space is Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut. The first astronaut to fly into space is Alan Shepard, and the first taikonaut is Yang Liwei.
Here, in space, the people I meet aren't just called cosmonauts like I was used to on Earth. The situation is a bit confusing. If I come across an American or someone from an English-speaking country, they are called an astronaut; if it's a Russian or someone from a Russian-speaking country, they are called a cosmonaut; and if I encounter someone from the Far East, like a Chinese person, they are called a taikonaut. So, what is this confusion? Where do these different names come from?
At the beginning of spaceflight, there was a Space Race between the United States (USA) and the Soviet Union (USSR). Both wanted to take the lead and stand out in this race. The first successful steps were taken by the USSR. The first human, Yuri Gagarin, was put into space and called a cosmonaut. In response, the USA sent the first American, Alan Shepard, into space and called him an astronaut. Each managed to stand out successfully in their own way. Much later, China also joined the race by sending the first Chinese, Yang Liwei, into space, calling him a taikonaut. And this tradition spread among countries and different language-speaking nations, each creating their own.
Despite all the different names, cosmonaut, astronaut, taikonaut; there is a similar point shared by all three. No, I’m not talking about the fact that they are used to refer to people who travel to space; there’s another nuance. All three end with the suffix “-naut”. This suffix originates from the ancient Greek word “nautes”, meaning sailor, and when used as a suffix, it conveys the meaning of a traveller or voyager."
The word cosmos has the same meaning in both Russian and Azerbaijani languages, and when combined with the suffix “-naut”, it forms the word cosmonaut, which can be interpreted as a space traveller or voyager. In the word astronaut, used by English-speaking countries, the prefix “astro” means star. When combined with “-naut,” it forms astronaut, which essentially means a person who travels to the stars. It's worth noting that both cosmos and astro are ancient Greek words. In contrast to these two, the word taikonaut used by the Chinese includes “taiko”, which is unique to their language and means space. Even the French use the term spationaute, and Malaysians use their word angkasawan, which also means astronaut, to refer to people who travel to space.
Technically, each of these terms is considered correct. The difference lies in the language used and the space agency through which individuals are sent into space. Officially, those who undergo training and are sent to space via NASA, ESA, or JAXA are called astronauts, while those who are trained and sent through Roscosmos are referred to as cosmonauts. For those flying with CNSA, the term taikonaut is used.
Another important nuance to note is that the requirements put forward by different space agencies also vary in certain aspects, such as age limits, height, weight, etc. As a result, there can be differences among astronauts, cosmonauts, or taikonauts based on these criteria. Additionally, noticeable differences also appear in the design of the suits they wear during spaceflights and in space.
In Azerbaijani, due to the long-standing influence of the USSR, we use the word cosmonaut. The first and, so far, the only Azerbaijani to travel to space, Musa Manarov (who flew to space on December 21, 1987, and spent a year aboard the Mir space station), is also referred to as a cosmonaut.
If we had such a choice, what would it be if we could give a name in our native language to those who travel to space?
Let’s think a bit. Right now. Let’s raise our heads, look up at the sky, and imagine that somewhere out there, someone who shares our language and nationality is present. What would we call them? Cosmonaut, astronaut, or...? Name it yourself.
With the hope that one day soon, there will be someone in space whom we can call out to in our native language and receive a reply, for now!
Kommentare