Where does “airborne” come from?
Airborne comes from English air and the suffix -borne, with air deriving from Middle English air, Anglo-Norman eir, Latin aer, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeh₁ro-, meaning to breathe or blow.
airborne (English): In or carried by the air; In flight; Fitted to an...
Definitions
- In or carried by the air; In flight; Fitted to an...
Ancestry of “airborne”, step by step
airborne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English borne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | borne | past participle of bear; carried, supported |
| 2 | Middle English | boren | — |
| 3 | Old English | boren | past participle of beran; born |
| 4 | Old English | beran | to carry, bear; to wear; to sustain, support |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | beran | to carry, to bear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | beraną | to carry, to bear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |