sterling (n.)

"celestial body appearing as a luminous point," Middle English sterre, from Old English steorra "star," from Proto-Germanic *sternan- (source also of Old Saxon sterro, Old Frisian stera, Dutch ster, Old High German sterro, German Stern, Old Norse stjarna, Swedish stjerna, Danish stierne, Gothic stairno). This is from PIE root *ster- (2) "star."

Used originally of the apparently fixed celestial bodies, which is the restricted modern sense. But it also was used of planets and comets, as preserved in falling star (late 15c.) "meteor;" morning star "Venus at dawn" (Old English), etc.

The astrological sense of "influence of planets and zodiac on human affairs" is recorded from mid-13c., hence "person's fate as figured in the stars" (c. 1600; star-crossed "ill-fated," literally "born under a malignant star," here meaning "planet," is from "Romeo and Juliet," 1592; star-struck is by 1787). The astrological sense also is in expressions such as My stars!, thank (one's) stars, both 1590s.

The meaning "leading performer" is from 1824, originally of actors and singers; the sense of "outstanding performer in a sport" is by 1916; star turn "principal act or song in a show" is by 1898.

Stars as a ranking of quality for hotels, restaurants, etc. are attested by 1886, originally in Baedecker guides. Sticker stars as rewards for good students are recorded by 1977. A brass star as a police badge is recorded from 1859 (New York City).

The astronomical star-cluster is from 1870. Star-shower "meteor shower" is by 1818. To see stars when one is hit hard on the head is from 1839.

ancient coin, late 14c., from Greek stater, from histanai "to fix, to place in a balance," hence "to weigh;" literally "to cause to stand" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). Once the name of a specific issue of coin, in ancient Greece it became a general name for the principal or standard coin in any place. It is the "piece of money" in Matt. xvii.27.

diminutive word-forming element, early 14c., from Old English -ling a nominal suffix (not originally diminutive), from Proto-Germanic *-linga-; attested in historical Germanic languages as a simple suffix, but probably representing a fusion of two suffixes: 1. that represented by English -el (1), as in thimble, handle; and 2. -ing, suffix indicating "person or thing of a specific kind or origin;" in masculine nouns also "son of" (as in farthing, atheling, Old English horing "adulterer, fornicator"), from PIE *-(i)ko- (see -ic).

Both these suffixes had occasional diminutive force, but this was only slightly evident in Old English -ling and its equivalents in Germanic languages except Norse, where it commonly was used as a diminutive suffix, especially in words designating the young of animals (such as gæslingr "gosling"). Thus it is possible that the diminutive use that developed in Middle English is from Old Norse.