15 Jun 2021, 1:50 pm
15 Jun 2021, 2:42 pm
15 Jun 2021, 3:20 pm
It was named, assumed that it came from bat viromes -- viruses associated with bats.
And bat viromes have other coronaviruses under it's name. Including SARS. As stated from the previous post.
Why "corona" and "virus"??
Synonyms*: Coronavirinae
Coronaviruses constitute the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales, and realm Riboviria.
The viral genome is 26–32 kilobases in length. The particles are typically decorated with large (~20 nm), club- or petal-shaped surface projections (the "peplomers" or "spikes"), which in electron micrographs of spherical particles create an image reminiscent of the solar corona.
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name.
Unlike synonyms in other contexts, in taxonomy a synonym* is not interchangeable with the name of which it is a synonym. In taxonomy, synonyms are not equals, but have a different status.
For any taxon with a particular circumscription, position, and rank, only one scientific name is considered to be the correct one at any given time (this correct name is to be determined by applying the relevant code of nomenclature).
A synonym* cannot exist in isolation: it is always an alternative to a different scientific name.
Synonyms* also come about when the codes of nomenclature change, so that older names are no longer acceptable; for example, Erica herbacea L. has been rejected in favour of Erica carnea L. and is thus its synonym*.
Why English and not Chinese?
The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal conventions of everyday speech to the internationally agreed principles, rules and recommendations that govern the formation and use of the specialist terms used in scientific and any other disciplines.
*Not your everyday synonym.
Long story short...
It's called coronavirus...
Because the virus is a round thing with spikes and when looked through an electron microscope, it looked like a thing with sun's corona.
The rest is funny stuff.
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15 Jun 2021, 5:52 pm
16 Jun 2021, 1:29 am
16 Jun 2021, 5:02 pm
And why is the big lizard called "Godzilla" the world over?
The Japanese creator of the character in the 50s named him by using the first syllable of the Japanese word for "whale", and the last two syllables of the English word "gorilla". So his name is a mashup of Japanese and English meaning "whale-gorilla".
And both whales and gorillas are mammals. And everyone can see that Godzilla is a reptile. So its not even accurate in any language!
16 Jun 2021, 7:55 pm
Well by rights the coronavirus should be called 新冠病毒
(Xīnguān bìngdú).
(I Googled that by the way).
Why should English get all the credit? 
16 Jun 2021, 7:58 pm
17 Jun 2021, 7:02 am
17 Jun 2021, 7:28 am
(Xīnguān bìngdú).
(I Googled that by the way).
Why should English get all the credit?
Because (as others have explained above) it is NOT English. Its Latin. A modern medical term cobbled together from Latin root words. As are most medical and scientific terms. An academic nomenclature tradition that goes back centuries precisely because putting things in Latin or Greek, rather than in the local vernacular, aided communication between the educated elites of Europe who were all schooled in Latin and or Greek since the Renaissance.
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