Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Of a surface: flat or level; A level or flat...

Ancestry of “plane”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishplane—
2Old Frenchplane—
3Latinplatanusplanetree, sycamore
4Greekπλάτανοςplane tree
5Ancient Greekπλάτανοςplanetree
6Ancient Greekπλατύςwide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpléth₂usflat, broad
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpleth₂-flat

Words derived from “plane”

  • airplane
  • biplane
  • seaplane
  • hyperplane
  • planer
  • spaceplane
  • hydroplane
  • backplane
  • planation
  • midplane
  • triplane
  • floatplane
  • warplane
  • multiplane
  • inplane
  • tailplane
  • planeload
  • deplane
  • interplane
  • hydroplaning
  • waterplane
  • sailplane
  • rhizoplane
  • planetree
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleth₂- →