Where does “astronut” come from?
astronut (English) comes from English astronaut, from English astro-, from Ancient Greek ἄστρον, from Ancient Greek ἀστήρ, from Proto-Hellenic astḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.
astronut (English): A person with an obsessive interest in astronomy
Definitions
- A person with an obsessive interest in astronomy
Ancestry of “astronut”, step by step
astronut traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English astronaut
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | astronaut | A member of the crew of a spaceship or other... |
| 2 | English | astro- | celestial bodies: fixed stars, wandering stars (planets), etc.; space; astronomy |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἄστρον | A celestial body |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀστήρ | a celestial body; illustrious person; starfish |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | astḗr | star |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via English Nut
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Nut | The goddess who serves as the personification of the sky |
| 2 | Middle English | note | note; Alternative form of not |
| 3 | Old English | notu | use; enjoyment; profit, advantage, utility |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nutō | use, profit, yield |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | newd- | to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to... |