aviateur

Forms

aviateur m (plural aviateurs, feminine aviatrice)^[1]

Etymology

It was coined in 1863 from Latin avis (“bird”), as one of a series of words made to express flying.^[2][3][4] In a text of 1863 Gabriel de La Landelle says that he created the series with Ponton d'Amécourt,^[3] while Bloch and Wartburg credit it to Nadar and La Landelle.^[2] The Grand Robert derives it from the verb avier “to fly through the air”, coined by La Landelle at the same time but which did not survive,^[5] and Wiktionary takes it from aviation, recorded the same year, with the suffix -eur.^[1] The Latin word had not been used in French before the 19th century.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1863 it named the flying machine itself, a sense still found in 1908.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From 1865 the noun was used for a technician or enthusiast of aviation; the modern sense, a person who flies an aeroplane, in competition with pilote, is found from 1896.^[3][6] The word came into general use around 1900.^[2] It was also used as an adjective, of an apparatus that allows flight (appareil aviateur, 1864) and of people concerned with aviation.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 1863 – La Landelle coins it, first as the name of a flying machine.^[3][5]
• 1864 – Used as an adjective in appareil aviateur.^[4]
• 1865 – Used for a person interested in aviation.^[3][6]
• 1896 – First found for a person who flies an aeroplane.^[6][3]
• c. 1900 – The word becomes common.^[2]
• 1908 – Still used for the machine.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. An aviator, a person who flies an aeroplane or belongs to its flying crew: pilote aviateur.^[6][4]
2. (military) A member of the air force.^[7]
3. (dated) A person interested in the technique of aviation.^[7]
4. (Canada) A rank in the Canadian Armed Forces.^[8]

Adjective

1. (rare) Serving or concerned with aviation: personnel aviateur.^[7]

Related words

• aviation
• avion
• Latin avis

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
5. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org