Where does “floatplane” come from?

floatplane (English) comes from English plane, from Middle English plane, from Old French plane, from Latin platanus, from Greek πλάτανος, from Ancient Greek πλάτανος, from Ancient Greek πλατύς, from Proto-Indo-European pléth₂us — flat.

floatplane (English): A seaplane that has floats for landing or taking...

Definitions

  1. A seaplane that has floats for landing or taking...

Ancestry of “floatplane”, step by step

floatplane traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English plane

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplaneOf a surface: flat or level; A level or flat...
2Middle Englishplane
3Old Frenchplane
4Latinplatanusplanetree, sycamore
5Greekπλάτανοςplane tree
6Ancient Greekπλάτανοςplanetree
7Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

via English float

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfloatOf an object or substance, to be supported by a...
2Middle EnglishfloteAlternative form of floute; Something that...
3Old Frenchflotefleet
4Old Norseflotifleet
5Proto-GermanicflutôA float; flotation device; A raft; boat; ship
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplewd-to fly, flow, run
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂-