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astronaute

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Etymology and origin of the French word astronaute

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1928 Larousse du XXe siècle More words from the 20th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ἄστρον,ναύτης
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French astronaute
Romanian astronaut

Pronunciation

  • /as.tʁɔ.not/[1]

Forms

astronaute m or f by sense (plural astronautes)[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from French astro- + -naute,[2][3][1] from Ancient Greek ἄστρον (ástron, “star”) and ναύτης (naútēs, “sailor”).[4][5] The GLLF and the Petit Robert instead derive it from French astronautique.[6][7] That adjective was coined in 1927 by the writer Rosny on the model of aéronautique.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in 1928 in the Larousse du XXe siècle, for a traveller in outer space.[2][6][3]

Semantic evolution

English astronaut is recorded from 1929 and became popular with the American space programme from 1961.[5] In French astronaute is now used above all of American space travellers, beside cosmonaute for Russians and spationaute for Europeans.[8][4]

Timeline

  • 1928 – Astronaute is recorded in the Larousse du XXe siècle.[2][6]
  • 1944 – Raymond Queneau uses it in Loin de Rueil.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. An astronaut: a member of the crew of a spacecraft, who travels beyond the Earth's atmosphere, as in Deux astronautes sont sortis dans l'espace hier.[7][4][1]
  • astronautique
  • cosmonaute
  • spationaute
  • English astronaut

Usage notes

The word is masculine or feminine according to the person: une astronaute.[7][1] Cosmonaute and spationaute are synonyms, usually kept for Russian and European space travellers.[8][4][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
Cite this entry

“Astronaute.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/astronaute. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·