Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Arcturus” come from?

Arcturus comes from Latin Arcturus, from Ancient Greek Ἀρκτοῦρος, meaning "bear-watcher," from ἄρκτος meaning "bear," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to brightness and guard.

Ancestry of “Arcturus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinArctūrus—
2Ancient GreekἈρκτοῦρος—
3Ancient Greekοὖροςfair wind; guardian, watcher; aurochs, "Bos...
4Latinūrus—
5Proto-Germanicūrazaurochs
6Proto-Indo-Europeanūsr-aurochs; buffalo
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ūsr- →