disaster
/dɪˈzɑːstə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
dus- + astēr — bad star
Overview
Meaning Now
- A sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life.
- A sudden or great misfortune or failure.
Literal older meaning
ill-starred; contrary star
Language path
Ancient Greek → Italian → Middle French → English
Earliest form
disastro
Earliest period
late 16th century
Journey
The word originates from the belief in astrology that the alignment of the stars (specifically an unfavorable one) determined human misfortune. In the late 16th century, 'disaster' specifically referred to the influence of a star that brought bad luck.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
dusastēr
“ill-fated, having an unfavorable star”
Compound of dus- (bad) and astēr (star).
- Italian
disastro
“unfavorable aspect of a star”
Used in an astrological context.
- Middle French
désastre
“calamity, misfortune”
- 16th-century English
disaster
“an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star; a calamity”
First recorded in the context of astrology.
Connections
Word parts
dis-
prefix
bad, negative, apart
aster
root
star
Related across languages
French
désastre
disaster
Italian
disastro
disaster
Spanish
desastre
disaster
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Related to disaster
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.