Where does “auto” come from?
auto (Spanish) comes from Spanish automóvil, from Russian автомоби́ль, 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 (Spanish): car, automobile; order, writ, resolution
Definitions
- car, automobile; order, writ, resolution
Ancestry of “auto”, step by step
auto traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish automóvil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | automóvil | automobile |
| 2 | Russian | автомоби́ль | car, automobile, motorcar |
| 3 | French | automobile | automotive; automobile |
| 4 | French | auto- | auto- regarding oneself |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | αὐτο- | self- |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | αὐτός | αὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact |