Etymology

aerobics

aer·o·bics
A1E1R1O1B3I1C3S1

Today it means: A form of exercise, designed to enhance one's cardiovascular fitness, normally performed to music. Full definition →

First used 1968English aerobic ← French aérobie ← Ancient Greek βίος (bíos)
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ewsér
  3. Proto-Hellenic*auhḗr
  4. Ancient Greekἀήρ (aḗr)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  6. Ancient Greekβίος (bíos)
  7. Frenchaérobie
  8. Englishaerobic
  9. English todayaerobics

From aerobic + -s.

First known use, by meaning

  • 1968 A form of exercise, designed to enhance one's cardiovascular fitness, normally performed to music.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.