The word "planet" in Greek comes from the term πλανήτης (planḗtēs), which means "wanderer." It is derived from the Greek verb πλανάομαι (planáomai) or πλανάω (planáō), meaning "to wander" or "to stray." The ancient Greeks called planets "wandering stars" (ἀστέρες πλανῆται, asteres planetai) because these celestial bodies appeared to move across the sky relative to the fixed stars, unlike other stars that maintained fixed positions.
In summary, the Greek root of the word "planet" reflects the characteristic motion of planets as objects that wander or move in the sky.
