Eostre
English
Alternative forms
- Ēostre
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.
Proper noun
Eostre
- A hypothesised West Germanic goddess, supposedly of the spring season, but of uncertain provenance.
- (paganism) A neopagan festival celebrated either in March or April to welcome the Spring, also called Ostara or Easter.
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