 The name Altair is from the Arabic (النسر الطائر "an-nasr aṭ-ṭā’ir"), which translates literally as "the flying eagle", from its belonging to the constellation.The star is named and plays a part in a variety of ancient myths worldwide, especially in the Western- and South-Pacific regions of the globe.In particular, in Chinese myth it is called the "Cowherd Star" after the story of the cowherd Niú Láng and his two children (β and γ Aquilae), who are separated from their mother Zhī Nŭ (the star Vega) by the Milky Way.