Word origin · etymology
Latin-derived constellation and sign name.
Capricorn comes from Capricornus, goat-horned; the traditional figure is a sea-goat.
How we know · epistemology
Zodiac convention with traditional symbolism
Tropical Capricorn begins at the December solstice and is traditionally cardinal earth. The boundary is calculable, while associations with ambition or discipline are interpretive and do not follow from the Sun's seasonal turning point.
Deborah Houlding: absolute zodiac longitude ↗Ptolemy: Tetrabiblos I.4–24, Robbins translation ↗Astrodienst: The four Elements and the Signs (practitioner account) ↗
Connected concepts
Terms used in this explanation
Mentioned in 4 other entries
These links connect subjects and terminology. They do not establish a shared historical origin.
Sources & provenance
Use the citations beside each section to distinguish a calculation convention, a historical teaching and an editorial example.