galaxy English · revision 2200

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡæl.ək.si/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|galaxie]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[bor|la-lat|galaxias|t=the Milky Way]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|grc|γαλαξίας|tr=galaxías|t=milky]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) as in ''galaxías kúklos'' “the milky circle”,^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) from ''gála'' (genitive ''gálaktos'') “milk”,^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|ine-pro|*g(a)lag-|t=milk]].^(Etymonline) It is akin to Latin ''lac'' “milk”.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Milky Way, the luminous band of stars across the night sky (1398).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) Barnhart dates it to about 1380.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Figuratively the word was applied from 1590 to a brilliant assembly of people, especially beautiful women or distinguished persons.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The astronomical sense of a discrete system of stars, including the one containing the sun, emerged by 1848.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Astronomers began to suspect in the 19th century that some spiral nebulae were distant galaxies like the Milky Way, but this was settled only in the 1920s.^(Etymonline) The English phrase ''Milky Way'' translates Latin ''via lactea''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1398 – the Milky Way.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590 – a brilliant assemblage of persons.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1839 – ''galactic''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1848 – any large independent system of stars.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Any of the very large systems of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity that are found throughout the universe.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(often capitalized)'' The Milky Way.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A brilliant or distinguished assembly of people or things.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[galactic]]

+ * [[galacto-]]

+ * [[lactose]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}