naval

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈneɪvəl/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin nāvālis (“relating to ships”), perhaps partly through naval,^[2][3][4] from nāvis (“ship”) (see navy),^[2][3][5] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *nau- (“boat”), also the source of Greek naûs and Sanskrit naú-.^[3][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pertaining to ships: probably before 1425, in a translation of Chauliac's Grande Chirurgie, of a distillation of ship's tar;^[2] the early 15th century in Etymonline.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Of a navy, it is from probably before 1439, in Lydgate's Fall of Princes;^[2] the OED has the sense from 1602 and the Roman naval crown from 1593.^[7] Fought or carried out by ships, as a naval battle, is from 1606.^[7] Naval stores, materials used in shipping, are from 1678,^[7] and the naval base from 1906.^[7] Old English had scipherelic for naval.^[3]

Timeline

• before 1425 – of ships.^[2]
• before 1439 – of a navy.^[2]
• 1606 – fought by ships.^[7]
• 1906 – naval base.^[7]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Of, relating to or belonging to a navy.
2. Of or relating to ships or shipping; nautical.

Word family

• navally
• nonnaval
• pronaval
• naval architect
• naval mine
• naval stores

Related words

• navy
• nave
• navigate
• nautical
• nausea

Usage notes

Naval is not to be confused with navel, the hollow in the belly, which is unrelated.^[6]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press