Editing Spica (section)

==Nomenclature==
In 2016, the [[International Astronomical Union]] organized a [[Working Group on Star Names]] (WGSN)<ref name=WGSN/> to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016<ref name=WGSN1/> included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included ''Spica'' for this star. It is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.<ref name="IAU-CSN"/> The name is derived from the [[Latin]] ''spīca virginis'' "the virgin's ear of [wheat] grain". It was also anglicized as ''Virgin's Spike''.

''α Virginis'' ([[Latinisation of names|Latinised]] to ''Alpha Virginis'') is the system's [[Bayer designation]]. [[Johann Bayer]] cited the name ''Arista''.

Other traditional names are ''Azimech'' {{IPAc-en|'|æ|z|I|m|E|k}}, from [[Arabic]] السماك الأعزل ''al-simāk al-ʼaʽzal'' 'the unarmed ''simāk'' (of unknown meaning, cf. [[Eta Boötis]]); ''Alarph''<!--form should be something like الرف, from root رفَ ''rff'', but I'm not finding a match in the vowels-->, Arabic for 'the grape-gatherer' or 'gleaner', and ''Sumbalet'' (''Sombalet'', ''Sembalet'' and variants), from Arabic سنبلة ''sunbulah'' "ear of grain".<ref name=allen/>

In [[Chinese astronomy|Chinese]], {{lang|zh|角宿}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Jué Xiù}}), meaning ''[[Horn (Chinese constellation)|Horn]] (asterism)'', refers to an asterism consisting of Spica and [[ζ Virginis]].<ref name=zh/> Consequently, the [[Chinese star names|Chinese name]] for Spica is {{lang|zh|角宿一}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Jué Xiù Yī}}, {{langx|en|the First Star of Horn}}).<ref name=aeea/>

In [[Hindu astronomy]], Spica corresponds to the [[Nakshatra]] ''Chitrā''.