The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix II
Semitic Roots
ENTRY:
ctr.
DEFINITION:
Common Semitic masculine noun *catar-, feminine *catart-, gods representing the morning and evening stars. 1.Ashtoreth, from Hebrew catret, taboo-deformation (with the vowels of bet, shame, shameful thing) of earlier *cateret.2a.Astarte, from Greek Astart, from Phoenician *catart;b.Aphrodite, from Greek Aphrodt, probably ultimately from Phoenician *catart, Astarte (influenced by Greek aphros, foam). 3a.Ishtar, from Akkadian itar;b. Esther, from Hebrew estr, perhaps from Akkadian itar, Ishtar (or from Persian sitareh, star; see ster-3 in Appendix I).
tr.
t
ret, taboo-deformation (with the vowels of b
, from Phoenician *ca
t
est
