etymology · 1500s–1600s
disaster
Drift #8 · May 20, 2026 · nature
Meaning comparison
Today it means
a sudden great catastrophe; a calamity
It used to mean (1500s–1600s)
under a bad star; ill-fated by celestial influence
Etymology
'Disaster' comes from Italian 'disastro' — dis (bad) + astro (star). Medieval Europeans believed the stars governed fate. A disaster was an event occurring under a malign celestial influence, long before it came to mean any great calamity.
The Drift
How the meaning shifted over time
the drift
In Historical Context
The astrologer declared the voyage a disaster before it had begun, for Saturn stood in opposition to Mars at the moment of departure.
drift fact
'Influenza' comes from the same astrological worldview — the disease was once thought caused by the 'influence' of the stars.
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