*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of astar

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der. Proto-Germanic *an Proto-West Germanic *ana Old English on Middle English an Middle English a- English a- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-Eur

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

Covered with bright or sparkling objects. · Shining as if with sparks or small points of light.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der. Proto-Germanic *an Proto-West Germanic *ana Old English on Middle English an Middle English a- English a- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr Proto-Germanic *sternǭ Proto-West Germanic *sternō Proto-West Germanic *sterrō Old English steorra Middle English sterre English star English astar From a- + star.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "a-<id:on>",
        "4": "star",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.\nProto-Germanic *an\nProto-West Germanic *ana\nOld English on\nMiddle English an\nMiddle English a-\nEnglish a-\nProto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-\nProto-Indo-European *-tḗr\nProto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr\nProto-Germanic *sternǭ\nProto-West Germanic *sternō\nProto-West Germanic *sterrō\nOld English steorra\nMiddle English sterre\nEnglish star\nEnglish astar\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂en-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*an\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ana\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"an\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"a-\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"a-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to be dry, to burn\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂eHs-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tḗr\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂stḗr\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*sternǭ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*sternō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*sterrō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"steorra\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"sterre\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"star\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"astar\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"astar\">\nFrom a- + star."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "a-<id:on>",
        "4": "star",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.\nProto-Germanic *an\nProto-West Germanic *ana\nOld English on\nMiddle English an\nMiddle English a-\nEnglish a-\nProto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-\nProto-Indo-European *-tḗr\nProto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr\nProto-Germanic *sternǭ\nProto-West Germanic *sternō\nProto-West Germanic *sterrō\nOld English steorra\nMiddle English sterre\nEnglish star\nEnglish astar\nFrom a- + star."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂en-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂en-"
    ],
    [
      "*an",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/an"
    ],
    [
      "*ana",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ana#Proto-West_Germanic:_on"
    ],
    [
      "on",
      "on#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "an",
      "an#Middle_English:_on"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#Middle_English:_on"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English:_on"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂eHs-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂eHs-#Proto-Indo-European:_to_be_dry,_to_burn"
    ],
    [
      "*-tḗr",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tḗr#Proto-Indo-European:_agent_noun"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂stḗr",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂stḗr"
    ],
    [
      "*sternǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/sternǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*sternō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/sternō"
    ],
    [
      "*sterrō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/sterrō"
    ],
    [
      "steorra",
      "steorra#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "sterre",
      "sterre#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "star",
      "star#English"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English:_on"
    ],
    [
      "star",
      "star#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Covered with bright or sparkling objects.",
        "Shining as if with sparks or small points of light."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "predicative"
      ],
      "recordId": "16b8383e64fdc1239825f43c812724202204857a2a77f3c1d0531111dbe48035",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1108553f63fa516718237d1be2cfbde9bce12926fad8e2978c8e279b6520ebef",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 988290
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for astar →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YXN0YXI