Where does “rocket launcher” come from?

rocket launcher (English) comes from English rocket, from French roquette, from Italian rocchetta, from Italian rocchetto, from Italian -etto, from English -et, from Middle English -et, from Old French -et — Forms adjectives from nouns, indicating the possession of a thing or a quality.

rocket launcher (English): A hand-held tube-like device for launching a...

Definitions

  1. A hand-held tube-like device for launching a...

Ancestry of “rocket launcher”, step by step

rocket launcher traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rocket

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrocketA rocket engine; A non-guided missile propelled...
2Frenchroquetterocket weapon
3Italianrocchettaincendiary rocket
4Italianrocchettospool; reel; coil
5Italian-ettoAlterative suffix used to form melioratives,...
6English-etUsed to form diminutives, loosely construed
7Middle English-etForms diminutive nouns from nouns; in some words,...
8Old French-etUsed to form a diminutive, masculine noun;...
9Latin-ātused
10Proto-Italic-ātos
11Proto-Indo-European-éh₂tosForms adjectives from nouns, indicating the possession of a thing or a quality

via English launcher

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlauncherOne who or that which launches. A device that...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éh₂tosEvery word from Latin -ātusEvery word from Italian -etto