Word Origin & History 1605, the "East Goths," who conquered
Italy late 5c. and established, under Theodric, a kingdom there
that lasted from 493 to 555 C.E., from L.L. Ostrogothæ, lit.
"eastern Goths" from P.Gmc. *aust(a)r- "east" (for second
element, see Goth, also Visigoth), but according to some this is
a folk corruption of an earlier Austrogoti, from a Gmc.
compound, the first element of which means "shining" or
"splendid," from P.Gmc. *austr-, from PIE *ausr- (see aurora ),
which is also, via "sunrise," the root of the L. word for
"east."