Which Greek word, meaning 'star', forms the first part of the term 'astronaut'?
Answer
Ástron
The term astronaut is derived from two Greek roots combined to signify a space traveler. The first component is ástron (ἄστρον), which explicitly translates to 'star'. This root is paired with the Greek word nautēs (ναύτης), meaning 'sailor'. Consequently, an astronaut is linguistically defined as a 'star sailor'. This designation was adopted by the American space agency, NASA, to describe their space travelers, contrasting with the title chosen by their historical counterpart.
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