Originally the name for the planet Venus when it appears as the morning star; later used as a name for Satan. It literally means 'light-bearing' or 'light-bringer.'
From Latin 'lux, lucis' (light) + 'ferre' (to bear, carry - cognate with Greek 'pherein'), meaning 'light-bearing.' The Romans used this name for Venus as the morning star because it appeared to carry light before dawn. Through Christian tradition, it became associated with the fallen angel.
Lucifer and phosphorus are twins - both mean 'light-bearer'! One uses the Latin 'ferre' and the other uses Greek 'phoros,' but they're carrying the same concept. It shows how Romans and Greeks both saw certain things as literally bearing or carrying light across the sky.
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