Where does “copilot” come from?

Copilot is formed from the English prefix co- (from Latin co-) and pilot (from Italian piloto, from Latin pillottus).

copilot (English): A backup or assistant pilot of an aircraft; To...

Definitions

  1. A backup or assistant pilot of an aircraft; To...

Ancestry of “copilot”, step by step

copilot traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Catalan pilot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Catalanpilotpilot; driver; light, warning light
2Italianpilotapilot; driver; third-person singular present...
3Latinpedota
4Ancient Greekπηδόνoar; blade of an oar, oar
5Ancient Greekπούςfoot; leg; Greek foot or pous, the ancient Greek...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via English pilot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpilotA person who steers a ship, a helmsman; A person...
2Middle Frenchpilotstake
3Italianpilotofirst-person singular present indicative of...
4Latinpillottus

via French copilote

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcopilotecopilot; codriver; first-person singular present...
2Frenchpilotepilot; first-person singular present indicative...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped-