'Altair' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'النسر الطائر' (al-nasr al-ṭā'ir), where 'al-nasr' meant 'the eagle' and 'al-ṭā'ir' meant 'the flying.'

'النسر الطائر' transformed into the Latin word 'Altair,' and eventually became the modern English word 'Altair.'

Initially, it meant 'the flying eagle,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.