galaxy

Where does the word "galaxy" come from? It comes from Greek galaxias, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Galaxy’s story begins in Greek: galaxias meant “milky, relating to milk.” Literally milky, describing the Milky Way's pale band across the sky. It reached English by 1300s as galaxy. Settled as the word for the Milky Way, later any large star system. Today, galaxy means a large system of stars, gas, and dust bound by gravity.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient galaxias "milky, relating to milk", literally milky, describing the Milky Way's pale band across the sky.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s galaxy "a large system of stars", settled as the word for the Milky Way, later any large star system.