Where does “meteor” come from?
Meteor comes from Middle French météore, from Latin meteorum, from Ancient Greek μετέωρον, derived from μετέωρος meaning "high in the air," ultimately from μετά and ἀείρω.
meteor (English): A fast-moving streak of light in the night sky...
Definitions
- A fast-moving streak of light in the night sky...
Ancestry of “meteor”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | météore | — |
| 2 | Latin | meteōrum | meteor |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μετέωρον | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μετέωρος | lifted up, on high, in air |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀείρω | to lift up, raise, support; to bear, sustain; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wer- | to lift up; to moisten; to flow; to raise, hang |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |