English word origin

Etymology of starn

From Middle English sterne, starn, From Old Norse stjarna, from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”). Doublet of star.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A star.

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

From Middle English sterne, starn, From Old Norse stjarna, from Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”). Doublet of star.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionsterneenm
Derivation mentionstjarnanon
Inherited-form mention*sternǭgem-pro
Inherited-form mention*h₂stḗrine-pro
Doublet mentionstaren

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "sterne"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English sterne"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "stjarna"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse stjarna"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*sternǭ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *sternǭ (“star”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*h₂stḗr",
        "4": "",
        "5": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "star"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of star"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sterne",
      "sterne#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "starn",
      "starn#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stjarna",
      "stjarna#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*sternǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/sternǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*h₂stḗr",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂stḗr"
    ],
    [
      "star",
      "star#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A star."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland"
      ],
      "recordId": "e1fa84244abeddf11b861b258da555d6a21fc8781de5a7c2685140e36c8d2535",
      "rawRecordSha256": "787c803d94cc6d9a1b25aada492969e8be78ff5cb1611c9e2fb5cafece18bf02",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The European starling.

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

From Old English stearn.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionstearnang

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "stearn"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stearn"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "stearn",
      "stearn#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The European starling."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "cdafcf37eca0c21aded9c21c412234d5e7842353b9a47d0506d3133a96985d87",
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}

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 starn →

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-c3Rhcm4