The word "planet" comes from the ancient Greek word "πλανήται" (planētai), which means "wanderers." This term was used by the Greeks to describe the celestial bodies that appeared to move across the sky relative to the fixed stars. The root verb "πλανάσθαι" (planasthai) means "to wander," hence planets were thought of as "wandering stars" because they did not stay fixed in the same position like stars but moved in the night sky.