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Where does the word "supernova" come from? It comes from Latin super, and was adopted directly into English (1926).
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Where does the word "supernova" come from? It comes from Latin super, and was adopted directly into English (1926).
Supernova’s story begins in Latin: super meant “above, beyond.” Above, beyond, combined with novus (new). It reached English by 1926 as supernova. Coined by astronomers for the extremely bright explosion of a dying star. Today, supernova means a powerful stellar explosion marking the death of a massive star.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient super "above, beyond", above, beyond, combined with novus (new).
- Stage 2 · English · 1926 supernova "the explosive death of a massive star", coined by astronomers for the extremely bright explosion of a dying star.