Starlet
/ˈstɑːr.lət/noun
A small star or a young female film actor.
Did you know?The word’s sparkle is real: *starlet* is a diminutive of *star*, and *star* itself comes from an ancient root tied to the night sky that gave English words like *asterisk* and *astronomy*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂stḗr
“star”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sternô
“star”
Old English
English
steorra
“star”
Middle English
English
sterre
“star”
17th Century
English
starlet
“a little star; a small star”
20th Century
English
starlet
“a young or aspiring female film star”