aviation | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

21 entries found.

"art or act of flying," 1866, from French aviation, noun of action from stem of Latin avis "bird" (from PIE root *awi- "bird"). Coined 1863 by French aviation pioneer Guillaume Joseph Gabriel de La Landelle (1812-1886) in "Aviation ou Navigation aérienne."

avionics (n.)

1949, from aviation + electronics.

*awi-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "bird." It also might be the source of *wyo, *yyo, Proto-Indo-European words for "egg."

It forms all or part of: auspex; auspices; auspicious; avian; aviary; aviation; aviator; avicide; aviculture; aviform; caviar; cockney; egg (n.); ocarina; oo-; oocyte; oolite; oology; osprey; ostrich; oval; ovary; ovate (adj.); oviform; oviparous; ovoviviparous; ovoid; ovulate; ovulation; ovule; ovum.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit vih, Avestan vish, Latin avis "bird;" Greek aietos "eagle;" Old Church Slavonic aja, Russian jajco, Breton ui, Welsh wy, Greek ōon, Latin ovum, Old Norse egg, Old High German ei, Gothic ada all meaning "egg."

climb (n.)

1580s, "act of climbing," from climb (v.). Meaning "an ascent by climbing" is from 1915, originally in aviation.

Spad (n.)

French biplane fighter of World War I, 1917, from French spad, from acronym of Societé pour Aviation et ses Dérivés.

preflight (adj.)

also pre-flight, "of or pertaining to the preparations for a flight," 1918 with reference to aviation, from pre- + flight (n.).

evasive (adj.)

1725 of persons; 1744 of actions, etc., from French évasif, from Latin evas-, past participle stem of evadere "to get away, escape" (see evasion). Related: Evasively; evasiveness. Evasive action is from 1940, originally in military aviation.

aero-

word-forming element meaning "air, atmosphere; gases," in 20c. use with reference to aircraft or aviation, from Greek aēr (genitive aeros) "air, lower atmosphere" (see air (n.1)).

zoom (v.)

1886, of echoic origin. Gained popularity c. 1917 as aviators began to use it. As a noun from 1917. The photographer's zoom lens is from 1936, from the specific aviation sense of zoom as "to quickly move closer."

firebomb (n.)

also fire-bomb, 1895 (earlier as a type of fireworks and a type of cannonball), from fire (n.) + bomb (n.). As a verb, from 1950 as an act of vandalism or terrorism, from 1941 as a military aviation tactic. Related: Firebombed; firebombing.

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