East

The Russian word "восток" (bos-tok) ≈ "east" has the German "Ost" in it. The Russian city of Vladivostok literally means the "power" of the "east" where Vladimir, a Russian name combining power and peace, is a common name in Russian.

The Russian prefix "B" has the connotation of "to" or "towards".

The word "east" has an interesting etymology.

The Russian word "восток" (vo-stok) ≈ "east".
The German word "Ost" ≈ "east" from which comes the word "Easter".
The German word "Ostern" ≈ "Easter".
The Spanish word "este" ≈ "east".
The Latin word "orientem" ≈ "East" from which we get the word "orient". The Orient as the Far East is named as that is the direction in which maps were "oriented" - towards the east.
The modern Greek word "ανατολή" (a-na-to-LEE) ≈ "east" which is related to the rising of the sun in the east.

Note that the Russian prefix "в" is also a standalone prepositional word that means "to" or "towards". The English word "east" and German "Ost" which is the same sound as the Russian word. Both are cognate with the Russian word for "east".

Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. [kjv]

λεγοντες που εστιν ο τεχθεις βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ειδομεν γαρ αυτου τον αστερα εν τη ανατολη και ηλθομεν προσκυνησαι αυτω [gnt]

… oriente … [v]

… eest … [ty]

… Morgenland … [lu]

… востоке … [rus]

Matthew 2:2

All

KJV: Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Greek: λεγοντες που εστιν ο τεχθεις βασιλευς των ιουδαιων ειδομεν γαρ αυτου τον αστερα εν τη ανατολη και ηλθομεν προσκυνησαι αυτω

Latin: dicentes ubi est qui natus est rex Iudaeorum vidimus enim stellam eius in oriente et venimus adorare eum

Wessex: & cwaeðen. hwaer is se iudea kyng þe akenned is. Soðliche we geseagen his steorran on east-daele. & we comen us hine to ge-eadmedenne.

Wycliffe: and seiden, Where is he, that is borun king of Jewis? for we han seyn his sterre in the eest, and we comen to worschipe him.

Tyndale: saynge: Where is he yt is borne kynge of ye Iues? We have sene his starre in ye eest and are come to worship him.

Luther: Wo ist der neugeborne König der Juden? Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen im Morgenland und sind kommen, ihn anzubeten.

Slavonic: где есть рождейся Царь Иудейский? Видехом бо звезду Его на востоце и приидохом поклонитися Ему.

Russian: где родившийся Царь Иудейский? ибо мы видели звезду Его на востоке и пришли поклониться Ему.

Spanish: diciendo: ¿Dónde está el Rey de los judíos, que ha nacido? Porque su estrella hemos visto en el oriente, y venimos a adorarle.

The Luther German uses "Morgenland", which literally means "morning land", for "east".

A historical Linguistic is that a hard Germanic "g" often changes to a softer English "y" sound and then often disappears. An example is German "Morgan" to intermediate form "morying" to "morning".

More: Germanic g to English y

The wise men, being Magi, came from the "east", being from the old Persian Empire that was taken over by the Parthians. Six hundred years earlier, Daniel had been appointed chief of the Magi. Herodotus records facts about the Magi in Babylon as part of the Meade-Persian empire. The Magi "saw his star in the east".

Was the star "in the east" or were the wise men in the "east" when they saw his star in the "west", which led them "west"?

John saw Mary with the telescope.

Who had the telescope, John or Mary?

The "east" at Christmas brings to mind the song, "We three kings of orient are".

The Christmas song "We three kings" was written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr., from Williamsport, PA, in 1857. There's gold, frankincense, but wait, there's myrrh!

1. All: We three kings of Orient are; ...
2: King 1: ... Gold I bring to crown Him again, ... (king)
3: King 2: Frankincense to offer have I; ... (priest)
4: King 3: Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume ... (burial)
5: All: King and God and sacrifice;

There are some factual issues with the words to the song.

They were not "kings".
We do not know if there were exactly "three".
They were not from the "orient".

More: Song: We three kings of orient are