pilot

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπηδόν“blade of an oar, oar”
2. Medieval Greek · derived from*πηδώτης“helmsman”
3. Italian · derived frompilota
4. Middle French · derived frompilot
5. English todaypilot

From Middle French pilot, pillot, from Italian pilota, piloto, older also pedotta, pedot(t)o (the form in pil- is probably influenced by pileggiare (“to sail, navigate”)); ultimately from unattested Medieval Greek *πηδώτης (*pēdṓtēs, “helmsman”), from Ancient Greek πηδόν (pēdón, “blade of an oar, oar”), hence also Ancient and Modern Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder”).

Words from the same roots