Where does “plane” come from?
Plane comes from Latin planum, derived from Latin planus, which traces to Ancient Greek πλάνος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂- meaning broad or flat.
plane (English): Of a surface: flat or level; A level or flat...
Definitions
- Of a surface: flat or level; A level or flat...
Ancestry of “plane”, step by step
plane traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English plane
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | plane | — |
| 2 | Old French | plane | — |
| 3 | Latin | platanus | planetree, sycamore |
| 4 | Greek | πλάτανος | plane tree |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πλάτανος | planetree |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πλατύς | wide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pléth₂us | flat, broad |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pleth₂- | flat |
via English aeroplane
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | aeroplane | A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed... |
| 2 | French | aéroplane | aeroplane |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ᾱ̓ερόπλᾰνος | wandering in air |
via Latin plānum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | plānum | a plain, level ground |