Eostre

English

Etymology

A learned borrowing from Old English Ēostre, the Northumbrian variant of West Saxon Ēastre (“a word referring to "the rising dawn" to indicate the season of Spring”) and ēastre (“Easter”), from Proto-West Germanic *austrā, from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ (“Easter, springtime”). Doublet of Easter.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈe͜oːs.tre/

Proper noun

Eostre

  1. A West Germanic goddess of the spring season.
  2. (paganism) A pagan festival celebrated either in March or April to welcome the Spring, also called Ostara or Easter.

References
  • Pete Jennings (1998), The Norse Tradition: A Beginner's Guide, Headway, →ISBN, p. 40.

Anagrams
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