Esther
/ˈɛstər/
noun
Origin
Persian
stāra — star
Overview
Meaning Now
- A feminine given name of biblical origin.
- The central figure in the biblical Book of Esther, a Jewish queen of the Persian Empire.
Literal older meaning
star
Language path
Persian → Hebrew → English
Earliest form
אֶסְתֵּר (ʾEstēr)
Earliest period
5th century BCE
Journey
The name is traditionally associated with the Persian word for star. In the biblical narrative, Queen Esther uses the Hebrew name Hadassah ('myrtle'), while Esther is interpreted as her Persian court name.
Evolution
- Old Persian
stāra
“star”
- Hebrew
אֶסְתֵּר
“Esther”
Adopted as a name in the biblical text
- Greek
Ἐσθήρ
“Esther”
Septuagint translation
- Latin
Esther
“Esther”
Vulgate Bible
- Middle English
Esther
“Esther”
Connections
Related across languages
Persian
ستاره (setāre)
star
Sanskrit
stṛ
star
Related words
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