Where does “airspeed” come from?

Airspeed derives from air, from Middle English air, Anglo-Norman eir, and Latin heres, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots related to inheritance and distribution of property.

airspeed (English): The speed of an aircraft relative to the air...

Definitions

  1. The speed of an aircraft relative to the air...

Ancestry of “airspeed”, step by step

airspeed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Speed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSpeedThe state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion
2Middle Englishspedgood fortune
3Old Englishspēdsuccess; luck, prosperity, success
4Proto-West Germanicspōdihurry, rush; success, prosperity
5Proto-West Germanicspōanto succeed, prosper
6Proto-Germanicspōanąto prosper, succeed, be happy
7Proto-Indo-Europeanspéh₁-to succeed, to prosper
8Proto-Indo-Europeanspeh₁-to succeed, to prosper

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 speh₁- →