Planet Terra: Difference between revisions

This is a fairly simple trope. It is simply the habit of calling Earth "Terra" in Sci Fi. The word is adopted from the [[Altum Videtur|Latin]] word for, well, earth. The advantages to doing this are simply [[Rule of Cool|coolness]], especially when describing a human from Earth. Or just humans in general, in works that insist on naming species by their homeworlds. Terran just sounds more exotic and [[Puny Earthlings|less condescending]] than "Earthling". Another advantage is that it is language-neutral, since it is by far the most common word for the planet -- aboutplanet—about six languages, give or take, call this planet Terra, while Earth, on the other hand, is purely English.

Calling Earth "Terra" may be a result of an [[Earth -That -Was]] scenario.

* In the book of the film for ''[[Men in Black (Filmfilm)|Men in Black]]'', humans are called "terries". (At least by Edgar the bug, so it's likely a derogatory derivative of "terran".)

* [[EEE. E. "Doc" Smith]]'s stories referred to our planet as both Earth and Terra. He also used the alternate name Tellus.

* An odd inversion is that Edmond Hamilton's ''Starwolf'' trilogy always speaks of humans as Earthmen, but the back-cover blurb describes the main character as a Terran.

* [[Keith Laumer]]'s ''[[Retief (Literature)|Retief]]'' stories frequently use the abbreviated "Terry" for Terrestrial. There's no sense of it being derogatory, as the Terries use it themselves often enough.

* "Terra" and "Terrans" are used throughout [[H. Beam Piper]]'s "Terro-Human Future History".

* ''[[Blakes SevenBlake's (TV)7|Blakes Seven]] '' has a Terran Federation.

* In ''[[Stargate SG -1]]'' it was mentioned once that the [[Precursors|Ancients]] called earth Terra, of course, [[Justified Trope|Latin is derived from their language]].

* Played with and finally averted in the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic (1978 TV series)|the original ''Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'']] -- "Terra" turns out not to be Earth, but rather a splinter group from the Thirteenth Tribe that colonized Earth.

* The ''[[Battle TechBattleTech]]'' universe has the Terran Hegemony.

* Holy Terra is the homeworld of the Imperium of Man in the ''[[Warhammer 4000040,000]]'' universe.

* In ''[[X (Videovideo Gamegame)|X3]]: Terran Conflict'', the humans in the Sol system are referred to as "Terrans", but the planet is still called Earth.

* In ''[[StarcraftStarCraft]]'', humans are called Terrans, but strangely, the planet is still called Earth every single time it's mentioned.

* ''[[Wing Commander (Videovideo Gamegame)|Wing Commander]]'' has the Terran Confederation, with "Terrans" occasionally being used by non-human races to refer to the speciess originating from Sol III.

* In the ''[[Unreal|Unrealverse]]verse'', the Skaarj call humans Terrans.

* ''[[Planet SidePlanetSide]]'' has the Terran Republic.

* ''[[Adventure Quest (Video Game)|Adventure Quest]]''.

* In ''[[Mass Effect (Video Game)|Mass Effect]]'', the Star of Terra is one of the Systems Alliance's highest military decorations.

* All beings that can trace their lineage back to Earth in ''[[OrionsOrion's Arm]]'' are referred to as 'Terragen', and the region of space they inhabit is, obviously, called the Terragen Sphere. Note that most terragens were not actually born/created on Earth, and are hence ''not'' Terrans proper - they're just all, ultimately, descended from or created by Terrans.

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