An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A shining with intermittent light, as the twinkling of the stars. → scintillation.

M.E. twinklen (v.), O.E. twinclian, frequentative of twincan "to wink, blink;" related to M.H.G. zwinken, Ger. zwinkern.

Cešmak "twinke," from cešm, → eye, + -ak relation suffix.