English
propulsion
Propulsion comes from Latin propello ‘to drive forward, drive forth, drive away,…’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpropello‘to drive forward, drive forth, drive away, drive out’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500propulsiopast participle of propello
- Englishearliest quotation 1995propulsion
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*pelnō‘to approach’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpellō‘push, drive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpropello‘to drive forward, drive forth, drive away, drive out’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500propulsiopast participle of propello
- Englishearliest quotation 1995propulsion
Earliest quotation: 1995, Joyce A. Hayes, Environmental Benefits of Chemical Propulsion: “However, nuclear propulsion provides a very high specific impulse…”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- ‘to approach’
through Proto-Italic *pelnō ‘to approach’
impulse, repellent, repulse, 10 more
through Latin pellō ‘push, drive’
appeal, repeal, pulse, appellate, compulsory, compel, expel, repel, dispel, pelt, compulsive, expulsion, impel, rappel, 16 more
through Latin propello ‘to drive forward, drive forth, drive away,…’
Today it means
noun The process of propelling, driving, or pushing, typically forward or onward; a propulsive force or impulse.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *pelnō / propulsion