Where does “airship” come from?

Airship comes from English air and ship, where air derives from Middle English air, Anglo-Norman eir, and Latin aer meaning air, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek- meaning to cut or separate.

airship (English): A lighter-than-air aircraft that can be propelled...

Definitions

  1. A lighter-than-air aircraft that can be propelled...

Ancestry of “airship”, step by step

airship traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ship

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshipA water-borne vessel generally larger than a...
2EnglishrelationshipConnection or association; the condition of being...
3EnglishrelationThe manner in which two things may be associated;...
4Middle Englishrelacion
5Old Frenchrelacion
6Latinrelātiōcarrying or bringing back
7Latinreferōto bear, bring, drive, or carry back, off, or away
8Latinrĕ-back, backwards
9Latinprōdūcōto lead or bring forth, forward or out
10Latinprō-forward direction, forward movement
11Proto-Italic*pro-pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
14Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
15Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English aïr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishaïr
2Middle Englishaireair
3Old Frenchairair mixture of gases that make up the earth's atmosphere
4Latināērair
5Ancient Greekἀήρmist; air; wind
6Ancient Greekauhḗr
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós