Where does “starlight” come from?
Starlight comes from Old English steorran lēoht, combining steorran (star) from Proto-Germanic sternǭ and lēoht (light) from Proto-Germanic liuhtijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewk- (to shine).
starlight (English): Light emitted from stars other than the Sun
Definitions
- Light emitted from stars other than the Sun
Ancestry of “starlight”, 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 |