Where does “starburst” come from?
Starburst is a compound of star and burst, where star derives from Middle English sterre, Old English steorra, Proto-Germanic sternô, and Proto-Indo-European h₂stḗr, meaning a celestial body.
starburst (English): A violent explosion, or the pattern supposed to...
Definitions
- A violent explosion, or the pattern supposed to...
Ancestry of “starburst”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | star | Any small luminous dot appearing in the cloudless... |
| 2 | Middle English | sterre | star |
| 3 | Old English | steorra | star |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | sterrō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sternô | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
Words derived from “starburst”