# origin of names of stars in Orions belt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-names-of-stars-in-orions-belt/421573 "2007-10-05T00:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-names-of-stars-in-orions-belt/421573/1 "2007-10-05T00:36:37Z")
The names are rather odd and don’t appear to be Greek, ζ Ori (Alnitak), ε Ori (Alnilam) and δ Ori (Mintaka). Likely the easiest question in a while, but wiki is no help, AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-names-of-stars-in-orions-belt/421573/2 "2007-10-05T00:40:35Z")
They, like the common names of most visible stars, are Arabic. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-names-of-stars-in-orions-belt/421573/3 "2007-10-05T00:41:28Z")
Arabic. Most of early astronomy was pioneered by the Arabs. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-names-of-stars-in-orions-belt/421573/4 "2007-10-05T00:42:43Z")
Thanks. Once you said that, I remembered and found the reference. :smack: They all mean “Belt” or something along those lines.