Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “taxi” come from?

taxi (French) comes from German Taxameter, from Medieval Latin taxa, from Latin taxāre, from Latin Taxus, from Ancient Greek εἶδος, from Spanish -scopio, from Latin -scopium, from Ancient Greek σκοπέω — to see, to look, to observe.

taxi (French): taxi; taxi driver; helicopter or plane used for...

Definitions

  1. taxi; taxi driver; helicopter or plane used for...

Ancestry of “taxi”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanTaxametertaximeter
2Medieval Latintaxacharge, assessment, tax; tax, charge;...
3Latintaxāre—
4LatinTaxusyew
5Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
6Spanish-scopio-scope
7Latin-scopium—
8Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
9Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
10Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
11Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at
12Proto-Indo-Europeanspéḱyetito be looking at, to keep looking at
13Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe

Words derived from “taxi”

  • taxes
  • taxi
  • taxis
  • taxicab
  • chemotaxis
  • taxiway
  • parataxis
  • phototaxis
  • hypotaxis
  • phyllotaxis
  • geotaxis
  • ligamentotaxis
  • stereotaxis
  • aerotaxis
  • haptotaxis
  • taximan
  • thigmotaxis
  • gravitaxis
  • magnetotaxis
  • thermotaxis
  • homotaxis
  • phonotaxis
  • anemotaxis
  • tropotaxis
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- →