Chauffer
/ˈʃɔːfər/noun
A driver, especially of a private car.
Did you know?The word comes from French *chauffer*, “to heat,” and *chauffeur* originally meant a stoker or fire-tender before it was applied to a driver, because early cars needed someone to keep the engine hot.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
calefacere
“to make hot, heat”
Old French
OF
chaufer
“to heat, warm”
French
FR
chauffeur
“one who heats; later, a stoker or fire-tender”
19th Century
English
chauffeur
“a person employed to drive a motor vehicle”
Modern English
EN
chauffeur
“a professional driver”