Where does “wingman” come from?
Wingman is a compound of English wing and English man, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁- and men-, with man also influenced by Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
wingman (English): A pilot partner of another, a pilot who flies in...
Definitions
- A pilot partner of another, a pilot who flies in...
Ancestry of “wingman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wing | An appendage of an animal's body that enables it... |
| 2 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 3 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 4 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 5 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |