English
galaxy
Galaxy comes from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας ‘Milky Way’, and goes back to γᾰ́λᾰ ‘milk’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγᾰ́λᾰ‘milk’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγαλαξίαςgalaxías‘Milky Way’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgalaxias
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400galaxie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500galaxye
- Englishearliest quotation 1633galaxy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγᾰ́λᾰ‘milk’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγαλαξίαςgalaxías‘Milky Way’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgalaxias
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400galaxie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500galaxye
- Englishearliest quotation 1633galaxy
Earliest quotation: 1633, John Donne: “So may thy cheekes red outweare scarlet dye, /…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gláktn̥ ‘milk’
through Ancient Greek γᾰ́λᾰ ‘milk’
Today it means
noun The Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek γᾰ́λᾰ / galaxy