Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “etoile” come from?

etoile (English) comes from French étoile, from Middle French estoile, from Old French estoile, from Latin stēla, from Latin stēlla, from Proto-Italic stērolā, from Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.

etoile (English): The leading ballet dancer in a company

Definitions

  1. The leading ballet dancer in a company

Ancestry of “etoile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchétoilestar; mullet; a white mark on the forehead of a...
2Middle Frenchestoilestar
3Old Frenchestoilestar
4Latinstēla—
5Latinstēlla—
6Proto-Italicstērolāstar
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂stḗrstar
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eHs-to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eHs- →