Where does “aeronautics” come from?
Aeronautics derives from French aéronautique, which combines Greek aero- (air) and nautique (nautical, from navigation), literally meaning air navigation.
aeronautics (English): The design, construction, mathematics and...
Definitions
- The design, construction, mathematics and...
Ancestry of “aeronautics”, step by step
aeronautics traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French aéronautique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | aéronautique | aeronautic, aeronautical |
| 2 | French | nautique | nautical; nautical mile |
| 3 | Latin | nauticus | nautical, naval |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ναυτικός | seafaring, naval, on the sea; skilled in... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ναύτης | sailor, seaman; companion at sea |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τής | Appended to verbs to form agent nouns |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πεῖρα | trial, experiment, attempt |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via New Latin aeronauticus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Latin | aeronauticus | aeronautic; aircrew |