Vega
/ˈviːɡə/noun
A bright blue-white star in the constellation Lyra and one of the vertices of the Summer Triangle.
Did you know?Medieval Arab astronomers called Vega al-nasr al-wāqiʿ, “the falling eagle,” while its companion star Altair was imagined as the flying eagle.
Etymological Timeline
Early Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-nasr al-wāqiʿ
“The falling eagle; an Arabic name for the star later called Vega.”
9th–10th Century
Arabic
wāqiʿ
“Falling, descending, or occurring; the active participle from the root w-q-ʿ.”
12th–13th Century
Medieval Latin
Wega
“A Latinized form of the Arabic stellar name, appearing in European astronomical tradition.”
15th–16th Century
European Astronomy
Vega
“A developing Latin and vernacular form used for the star in astronomical texts.”
Modern English
English
Vega
“The standard proper name of Alpha Lyrae, one of the brightest stars visible from Earth.”
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