aviation

Forms

aviation f (plural aviations)^[1]

Etymology

It was coined in 1863 by Gabriel de La Landelle, at the same time as aviateur, and is formed from Latin avis (“bird”) with the suffix -ation.^[1][2][3][4] La Landelle wrote that he and Ponton d'Amécourt had created a series of words from the Latin word to express the idea of flying.^[5] The Grand Robert derives it more precisely from the short-lived verb avier “to fly”, a member of that series.^[6][5]

The Latin word continues an Indo-European word for “bird”;^[5] Rey notes that Spanish and Portuguese kept it as Spanish ave, while oiseau and Italian uccello come from the derivative Latin avicellus.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1863 it was a rather theoretical term for flight by machines heavier than air, and it was applied to birds as well (1869).^[5][7]

Semantic evolution

The word spread mainly during the First World War, above all from 1916, when a military aviation was organized, and it gained ground as avion stopped being a proper name and competed with aéroplane.^[5] From about 1920 it was in everyday use in military and then civil contexts for the whole field of air construction, technique and transport, with many phrases such as terrain d'aviation, compagnie d'aviation, aviation civile and aviation militaire.^[5][8]

By metonymy it names the air force, and in the French of Africa it is also used for “airport”.^[5] English borrowed it as aviation in 1866.^[4]

Timeline

• 1863 – La Landelle coins the word, with aviateur.^[5][6][3]
• 1866 – English takes up the word.^[4]
• 1869 – Littré's Supplement uses it of the flight of birds.^[5]
• 1916 – The word spreads with the organization of a military aviation.^[5]
• c. 1920 – It is in everyday use, military and civil.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Air navigation by aircraft heavier than air, such as avions and hélicoptères; aviation, flying.^[9][2][10]
2. All the techniques and activities of air transport, as in aviation civile, compagnie d'aviation, terrain d'aviation: Elle travaille dans l'aviation depuis vingt ans.^[8][10][2]
3. The aircraft, crews and installations of a country or service; the air force: l'aviation française.^[2][5][9]
4. (Africa) An airport.^[5]

Related words

• aviateur
• avion
• Latin avis
• English aviation

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
3. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b 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
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)