Where does “helicopter” come from?
Helicopter comes from French hélicoptère, a compound of Ancient Greek ἕλιξ meaning spiral and Ancient Greek πτερόν meaning wing, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peth₂-.
helicopter (English): An aircraft that is borne along by one or more...
Definitions
- An aircraft that is borne along by one or more...
Ancestry of “helicopter”, step by step
helicopter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Esperanto helico
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esperanto | helico | helix |
| 2 | French | hélice | helix; propeller |
| 3 | Latin | helīx | a kind of ivy |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἕλιξ | Anything twisted, winding, or spiral; The tendril... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
via French hélicoptère
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | hélicoptère | helicopter |