English
taxi
Taxi comes from French taximètre ‘taximeter’, and goes back to Medieval Latin taxa ‘tax, charge’.
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500taxa‘tax, charge’
- Germanc. 1650–presentTaxameter‘taximeter’
- Frenchc. 1600–presenttaximètre‘taximeter’
- English1500–presenttaximeter‘automatic meter that records distance and fare’
- Englishearliest quotation 1912taxi
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500taxa‘tax, charge’
- Germanc. 1650–presentTaxameter‘taximeter’
- Frenchc. 1600–presenttaximètre‘taximeter’
- English1500–presenttaximeter‘automatic meter that records distance and fare’
- Englishearliest quotation 1912taxi
Earliest quotation: 1912, Flight: The Aircraft Engineer:: “Capt. Dawes and Bellairs were out with the Deperdussin…”
The story
Shortened from taximeter cab, taximeter (‘automatic meter that records distance and fare’) from French taximètre, from German Taxameter (whence also English taxameter), coined from Medieval Latin taxa (‘tax, charge’). The aviation sense originally derived from a slang term for training aircraft used for practicing ground operations, which were said to drive around the airfield like a taxicab, and subsequently applied to all aircraft ground movements.
Linked words
through Medieval Latin taxa ‘tax, charge’
Today it means
noun A vehicle that may be hired for single journeys by members of the public, particularly one with an automated meter to calculate the fare.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Medieval Latin taxa / taxi