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Where does the word "aurora" come from? It comes from Latin Aurora, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
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Where does the word "aurora" come from? It comes from Latin Aurora, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
Aurora’s story begins in Latin: Aurora meant “the goddess of dawn.” The Roman goddess of the dawn. It reached English by 1600s as aurora. Applied to the shimmering polar lights resembling a glowing dawn. Today, aurora means a natural display of colored light in the sky, typically seen near the poles.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient Aurora "the goddess of dawn", the Roman goddess of the dawn.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s aurora "a natural light display in the polar sky", applied to the shimmering polar lights resembling a glowing dawn.