sun
The star at the centre of the solar system; source of daylight.
Etymology
From Old English sunne, from Proto-Germanic *sunnō, from PIE *sóh₂wl̥ (also *séh₂wl̥). The Latin cognate sōl gives us "solar," "solstice," and "parasol." The Germanic form added an -n- suffix that became standard.
The Journey: *sóh₂wl̥ → sun
*sóh₂wl̥
*sunnō
sunne
sunne
sun
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *sóh₂wl̥. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | hḗlios |
| Latin | sōl |
| Welsh | haul |
| Gothic | sauil |
| Sanskrit | sū́rya |
| Old Norse | sól |
| Lithuanian | saulė |
Did You Know?
English has two sets of sun-words: native Germanic "sun/sunny" and borrowed Latin "solar/solstice." Both descend from the same PIE root — English just inherited the word twice through different branches.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *sóh₂wl̥. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.