Astrolog

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who interprets the positions of the stars and planets to make predictions about human affairs
2. One who studies celestial bodies and their supposed influence on people's lives and personalities
3. Someone who practises the old art of reading the heavens to forecast events and advise on destiny

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "astrologia" joined "astron" (star) and "logos" (discourse, study), and for a long time it covered what we now split into two fields. Astronomy and astrology were not sharply separated, so a Greek writer using the term could mean the mathematical study of the heavens or the reading of their influence on human affairs. The Greek "astrologos" passed into Latin as "astrologus" and then into Old French as "astrologe". English took it in the Middle Ages in the form "astrolog", which survives as an older variant. The agent ending "-er" was later added, giving "astrologer", the form that became standard. "Astrolog" is now found mainly in older writing and in dictionaries that record historical forms.