Where does “luster” come from?
Luster comes from Italian lustro, from Latin lustrum meaning a period of five years or purification ceremony, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root lewk- meaning to shine or be bright.
luster (English): Shine, polish or sparkle; By extension,...
Definitions
- Shine, polish or sparkle; By extension,...
Ancestry of “luster”, step by step
luster traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Lüster
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Lüster | chandelier |
| 2 | French | lustre | lustrum; period of five years; a very long time;... |
| 3 | Middle French | lustre | lustre; shine |
| 4 | Italian | lustro | first-person singular present indicative of... |
| 5 | Italian | lustrare | to polish, shine |
| 6 | Latin | lūstrō | to purify by means of a propitiatory sacrifice |
| 7 | Latin | lūstrum | bog, morass, place where boars and swine wallow |
| 8 | Old Latin | loustrom | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewkstrom | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |
via English lust
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lust | A feeling of strong desire, especially such a... |
| 2 | Middle English | lust | — |
| 3 | Old English | lust | desire, pleasure, appetite, lust |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lustu | desire, want, lust |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lustuz | lust, desire, want |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |