star

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /stɑː/, US /stɑːr/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English sterre, inherited from Old English steorra,^[2][3][4] from Proto-Germanic *sternan-.^[3][2] Its cognates include Old Frisian stēra, Old Saxon sterro, Dutch ster, German Stern and Old Norse stjarna,^[2][3][4] and Gothic has stairnō.^[3][5][6] The root is Proto-Indo-European *ster- (“star”),^[3][7][5] the source also of Latin stēlla, Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr) and ἄστρον (ástron), and Sanskrit stṛbhis, “by the stars”.^[5][8][6] It is related to stellar, constellation, asterisk, astral and astronomy.^[9][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A celestial body appearing as a point of light at night: Old English steorra, before 830,^[2] or about 825.^[10]

Semantic evolution

The word was used originally of the apparently fixed celestial bodies, its restricted modern sense, but also of planets and comets, as in falling star and morning star.^[3] The astrological sense, the influence of the planets on human affairs, is from the mid-13th century,^[3] hence a person's fate as shown in the stars about 1600.^[3] Star-crossed, “ill-fated”, is from Romeo and Juliet (1592),^[3] and thank one's stars from the 1590s.^[3][9] An image or figure of a star is from the 14th century.^[5] The verb meant “to mark with a star” from the 1590s,^[3] “to adorn with stars” by 1718,^[3][11] and “to mark with an asterisk” by 1827.^[3] A leading actor or singer is a star from 1824,^[3] and the verb “to play the leading part” is from the same year.^[3] An outstanding sports player is a star by 1916,^[3] and stars as a ranking of quality for hotels are attested by 1886.^[3]

Timeline

• before 830 – Old English steorra.^[2]
• mid-13th century – the stars in astrology.^[3]
• 14th century – a star-shaped figure.^[5]
• 1590s – verb, to mark with a star, and thank one's stars.^[3]
• 1592 – star-crossed (Shakespeare).^[3]
• 1824 – a leading performer; verb, to play the lead.^[3]
• 1827 – verb, to mark with an asterisk.^[3]
• 1886 – stars as a quality rating.^[3]
• 1916 – a sports star.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A self-luminous celestial body of gas, such as the sun, seen at night as a point of light.
2. A figure with five or more points, or something shaped like one; an asterisk.
3. A mark of quality in a rating.
4. A famous performer, or an outstanding person in a field.
5. (often stars) A planet or constellation thought to influence human fate.

Adjective

1. Of or being an outstanding performer: the star player.

Verb

1. To adorn or mark with stars; to mark with an asterisk.
2. To feature or play in a leading role.
3. To perform outstandingly.

Word family

• starless
• starlike

Related words

• stella
• stellar
• starry
• constellation
• asterisk
• astral
• astronomy
• disaster

Usage notes

A separate star, from Old Norse stǫrr, is any of various coarse seaside grasses and sedges, chiefly in Scotland and the north.^[4][10][12]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
8. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
9. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
11. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
12. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)