An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The length of time it takes Earth (or a planet) to rotate once on its axis relative to some external reference. The day is measured in several ways, depending on this reference, → sidereal day; → solar day; → mean solar day.

Etymology (EN): M.E., from O.E. dæg (cf. Ger. Tag, Swedish and Danish dag “day”), from PIE base *dhegh- “to burn.” Not related to L. dies “day” (from *dyeu- “to shine,” → diurnal), but rather to Av. dag- “to burn,” dažaiti “burns,” Mod.Pers. dâq “hot,” Skt. dah- “to burn,” dáhati, Gk. tephra “ash,” L. fovere “to boil,” Albanian djeg “to burn,” Russ. žeč’ “to burn,” Lith. dagas “hot season,” degti “to burn,” O.Prus. dagis “summer.”

Etymology (PE): Ruz “day,” from Mid.Pers. rôc, O.Pers. raucah-, Av. raocah- “light, luminous; daylight,” Skt. roka- “brightness, light,” cognate with Gk. leukos “white, clear,” L. lux “light” (also lumen, luna), PIE base *leuk- “light, brightness”. The Persian words rowšan “bright, clear,” foruq “light,” and afruxtan “to light, kindle” also belong to this family, as well as the E. light, Ger. Licht, and Fr. lumière.