astronomy English · revision 986

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈstɹɒn.ə.mi/ ''(UK)''; /əˈstɹɑ.nə.mi/, /æsˈtɹɑ.nə.mi/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|astronomie]], [[bor|fro|astronomie]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la|astronomia]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|ἀστρονομία|tr=astronomía]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from ''astronómos'' “star-arranger”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[af|grc|ἄστρον|-νομία|tr1=ástron|tr2=-nomía|t1=star|t2=arrangement, law]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The science of the heavenly bodies (1205 in the OED; before 1200 in Barnhart).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In English, ''astronomy'' is older than ''[[astrology]]'' and at first covered both the scientific study of the stars and their supposed influence on human affairs;^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) in the 14th and 15th centuries the two words were interchangeable.^(Barnhart 1995) During the late 15th century a distinction developed between the scientific study and the reading of human destiny,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and astronomy became the science of the matter beyond the Earth's atmosphere.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1200 – astronomy and astrology (Barnhart).^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1205 – the science of the heavenly bodies (OED).^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1300 – ''astronomien'', astronomer.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1398 – ''astronomer''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * late 15th century – distinguished from astrology.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The scientific study of matter in outer space, especially the positions, size, motion, composition and evolution of [[celestial]] bodies and phenomena.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' [[Astrology]].^(Wiktionary)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[astronomer]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[astral]]

+ * [[astrology]]

+ * [[astronomical]]

+ * [[astrometry]]

+ * [[astrophysics]]

+ * [[cosmology]]

+ * [[star]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Wiktionary notes that the study of the physical processes governing matter and energy in the universe is commonly called [[astrophysics]], and the study of the origin and fate of the universe [[cosmology]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}