An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Ostern

by Friedrich Kluge

Ostern, fem. plur, from the equiv. MidHG. ôster, f., more usual ôsteren, plur., OHG. ôstarûn, f. plur., ostara, f., ‘Easter’; corresponding to AS. eáster, n., eástro, f. plur. whence the equiv. E. Easter. Probably applied at an earlier period to an old heathen festival of the West Teutons. It is based upon the name of an OTeut. goddess of spring, Austrô, which must be identical with Ind. usrâ, ‘dawn’ (between s and r, t is inserted in Teut., see Schwester). The OAryan Aurôra had among the Teutons, to some extent at least, exchanged the character of a goddess of dawn for that of the light-bearing goddess of spring. This is indicated by the time of the Easter festival; the Christian season must have coincided with the heathen, since the name of the latter was appropriated. Bede testifies to the existence of the OTeut. goddess by the mention of the E. dial. form Eostra (for West Sax. Eástre). Ausôs, the OTeut. name of Aurôra, was the origin of the Teut. derivatives for ‘east,’ as well as AS. eárendel, ‘morning star, daybreak,’ whence the OHG. proper name Ôrentil in the later Orendel legends. See Osten.