horoscope

Where does the word "horoscope" come from? It comes from Greek horoskopos, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Horoscope’s story begins in Greek: horoskopos meant “an observer of the hour of birth.” Literally observer of the hour, from hora (hour) and skopos (observer). It reached English by 1500s as horoscope. Settled as the word for a forecast based on star positions at birth. Today, horoscope means an astrological forecast of a person's future based on star positions.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient horoskopos "an observer of the hour of birth", literally observer of the hour, from hora (hour) and skopos (observer).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s horoscope "an astrological forecast", settled as the word for a forecast based on star positions at birth.