star
/stɑːr/
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*h₂eHs- — star
Overview
Meaning Now
- a massive, luminous ball of gas that is held together by its own gravity
- a person who is very talented or famous
- a symbol used to represent a star, typically a five-pointed shape
Literal older meaning
star
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
*h₂eHs-
Earliest period
Proto-Indo-European
Journey
The word 'star' has been used in English since Old English times to refer to a massive, luminous ball of gas that is held together by its own gravity.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*h₂eHs-
“star”
The root of the word 'star' is thought to have originated in Proto-Indo-European.
- Proto-Germanic
*sterrō
“star”
The word 'star' evolved into Proto-Germanic as '*sterrō'.
- Old English
steorra
“star”
The word 'star' entered Old English as 'steorra'.
- Middle English
sterre
“star”
The word 'star' evolved into Middle English as 'sterre'.
- Modern English
star
“star”
The word 'star' has retained its meaning in Modern English.
Connections
Word parts
star
root
star
Related across languages
Dutch
ster
star
German
Stern
star
French
étoile
star
Explore next
Related to star
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.