The word "galaxy" has its roots in the Ancient Greek word "galaxias" (γαλαξίας), which is derived from "gala" (γάλα), meaning "milk." The term "galaxias" was used to describe the Milky Way, the galaxy that includes our Solar System, which was named for its appearance as a dim band of light made up of stars in the night sky, reminiscent of spilled milk.
This Greek term passed into Latin as "galaxias" or "galaxium," and later into Old


