Tellurian

Tellurian

təˈlo͝orēən

Noun

  • An inhabitant of the Earth.

Adjective

  • Of or inhabiting the Earth.

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Example Sentences

“All 12 books in the sci-fi series are about alien species, but the author is going to write his next book about a tellurian settlement.” 

“The tellurian species was known to be peaceful, but limited in technology.” 

“While the invaders resembled tellurians in almost every way, they had pale blue skin.”

Word Origin

Latin, late 18th century

Why this word?

When this word first appeared in English around the late 18th century, it was just an adjective used for things related to the earth (as in the ground). It has since been adopted by the sci-fi community to relate to species from Earth, specifically as opposed to alien creatures. From the Latin “tellur-,” meaning “earth,” “tellurian” can be used as an adjective to describe something of the Earth, or as a noun to identify an inhabitant of Earth.

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