galaxy

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromγαλαξίας“Milky Way”
2. Latin · derived fromgalaxias
3. Old French · derived fromgalaxie
4. Middle English · inherited fromgalaxye
5. English todaygalaxy

From Middle English galaxye, galaxie, from Old French galaxie, from Latin galaxias, from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías, “Milky Way”), shortening of γαλαξίας κύκλος (galaxías kúklos, “milky circle”), from γάλα (gála, “milk”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. The Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth.
• from 19th c. Any of the collections of many millions or billions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are billions in the known universe.