constellation

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂stḗr“star”
2. Latin · derived fromcon-
3. Late Latin · derived fromcōnstēllātiōnem
4. Old French · derived fromconstellation
5. Middle English · inherited fromconstellacioun
6. English todayconstellation

PIE word *ḱóm From Middle English constellacioun, constillacioun (“(astrology) position of the moon or a planet in relation to the ascendant sign of the zodiac; horoscope; (astronomy) formation of fixed stars, constellation; (astronomy) elevation or position of the sun”) [and other forms], borrowed from Old French constellation (modern French constellation), or directly from its etymon Late Latin cōnstēllātiōnem, the accusative singular of cōnstēllātiō (“collection of stars supposed to exert an influence upon human affairs, constellation”), from Latin con- (prefix denoting a bringing together of several objects) + stēlla (“star; meteor; planet”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”)) + -ātiō (suffix forming nouns).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 1920s Any of the 88 regions of the sky officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union, including all stars and celestial bodies in the region.