Talk:Arabia Felix

Surely a better translation of Arabia Felix is 'fertile arabia'? This was surely the point of the name?


 * felix gives fertile as a translation, so in a word, yes. Mglovesfun (talk) 08:45, 20 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Might also be a calque of . — Kleio (t · c) 14:09, 12 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Which would suggest that “fertile” is not the right adjective, since it appears that doesn’t mean that. — I.S.M.E.T.A. 03:24, 13 December 2016 (UTC)


 * It does seem that way, though I think it's still close to being accurate. According to LSJ, can also mean wealthy, which corresponds more or less to the meaning of  (listed by L&S but not on our entry) of prosperous. — Kleio (t · c) 04:15, 13 December 2016 (UTC)


 * It does indeed. Referring to Aden, which is in Arabia Felix, remarks “The ancient emporium of Arabian spices and Indian wealth, restored to importance, after the lapse of centuries, as a station and coal depôt for the overland mail, exhibits a curious link between the ancient and modern civilization of the East, and a strange example of the cycles in which history moves.” (underlining my emphasis). I also read something linking Arabia Felix to frankincense, though I can't at this moment find where I read that. — I.S.M.E.T.A. 10:19, 13 December 2016 (UTC)


 * I changed the literal translation to Prosperous Arabia, and added that meaning to the entry for . I also added the calque etymology to the entry. — Kleio (t · c) 19:57, 14 December 2016 (UTC)