αἴθω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἄστρον

Transliteration (Word)

astron

English translation (word)

star, constellation

Transliteration (Etymon)

aithō

English translation (etymon)

to burn

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 5

Ed.

F. W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820

Quotation

Ἄστρον, παρὰ τὸ αἴθω· ἄστρον, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι

Translation (En)

Astron "star" comes from aithō "to burn", with dropping of the [i]

Comment

This descriptive etymology is found with more details in later sources (see Parallels) which give the information missing in Orion: it starts from the future αἴσω, which provides the [s], and adds the suffix -τρον – unless Orion thought the [s] came directly from the sequence θ + τ (this is a phonetic rule which was known to Greek grammarians, and it would account for the [s], but since the formulation is similar in the Byzantine Etymologica and in Orion, the formation rule must also be the same). The etymology defines the star through its igneous nature. The interesting point is that Orion gives a different etymology for ἀστήρ (see ἀστήρ / ἀ- + ἵστημι), making clear that two obviously related words can have two different etymologies in the Greeks' conception

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1318 (Ἄστρον· παρὰ τὸ αἴθω, τὸ καίω, αἴσω γέγονεν αἴστρον καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι ἄστρον); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 220 (Ἄστρον· παρὰ τὸ αἴθω πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ρ. ‖ ἢ παρὰ τὸ αἴθω, τὸ λάμπω, ὁ μέλλων αἴσω, αἶστρον καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι ἄστρον); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 1, 264 (ἐξ οὗ περ αἴθειν καὶ αἰθὴρ καὶ ἄστρον καὶ ἀστήρ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 159 (Ἄστρον: Παρὰ τὸ αἴθω, τὸ καίω, αἴσω, γίνεται  αἶστρον· καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ι, ἄστρον καὶ ἀστήρ. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ στῶ, στήσω, στήρ)

Modern etymology

Singulative derived from the collective ἄστρα "stars", of ἀστήρ "star", inherited from PIE *h2ster-, cognate with Lat. stella, Goth. stairno (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Modern Greek has "αστέρι" and "αστέρας". The first denotes 1. any celestial body except the moon, 2. stars influencing one's life, 3. a famous person. The second has almost the same usage and phrase "έχω άστρο" means "I have good luck"

Entry By

Le Feuvre