Where does “auto” come from?

auto (Inari Sami) comes from Finnish auto, from Finnish automobiili, from French automobile, from French auto-, from Ancient Greek αὐτο-, from Ancient Greek αὐτός, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ew, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰe — Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact.

auto (Inari Sami): car

Definitions

  1. car

Ancestry of “auto”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishautocar, automobile
2Finnishautomobiiliautomobile, car
3Frenchautomobileautomotive; automobile
4Frenchauto-auto- regarding oneself
5Ancient Greekαὐτο-self-
6Ancient Greekαὐτόςαὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ewaway from, off; again
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanǵʰePostpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰe
auto — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer