Navigator
/ˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tər/noun
A person who directs the course of a ship, aircraft, or journey.
Did you know?Navigator comes from Latin *navigare* “to sail,” built from *navis* “ship” + *agere* “to drive, lead, set in motion,” so the word originally carries the feeling of a vessel being actively pushed through the unknown.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*néh₂us
“ship”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ag-
“to drive, move, lead”
Latin
Latin
nāvis
“ship”
Latin
Latin
navigāre
“to sail, travel by ship”
Latin
Latin
nāvigātor
“sailor, seafarer; one who sails”
Middle English
English
navigatour
“a sailor or seafarer”
Modern English
English
navigator
“one who directs a course or guides a journey”
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