wrote:
On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 14:26:00 +1000, "The Raven"
wrote:

http://www.etymonline.com
airplane - 1907, in Amer.Eng. largely superseding earlier aeroplane
(1873, and still common in British Eng.), from Fr. aéroplane, from Gk.
aero- "air" + stem of planer "to soar" (see plane (1)). Aircraft is
also from 1907; airship is 1888, from Ger. Luftschiff "motor-driver
dirigible."

plane (1) - "flat surface," 1604, from L. plantum "flat surface," from
neut. of planus "flat, level." The verb meaning "soar, glide on
motionless wings" is 1410, from M.Fr. planer, from L. planum on notion
of bird gliding with flattened wings.

Interesting. Slightly different from my dictionary. I do concede that my
dictionary may be in error, though. Personally, I thought it came from
the Greek word but I am not 100% certain of that.

MfG

Geoff.

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