Satellite
/ˈsæt.əl.aɪt/noun
An object that orbits a planet, or a device that relays signals.
Did you know?English got *satellite* from Latin *satelles*, meaning an attendant or bodyguard, and astronomers later reused it for moons and objects that ‘attend’ a planet in orbit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seh₂-
“To satisfy, make enough; the root behind a family of words about fullness and enoughness.”
Latin
Latin
satelles
“An attendant, guard, companion, or hired follower of a powerful person.”
14th Century
English
satellit / satellyte
“A follower or attendant of a ruler or great person.”
17th Century
English
satellite
“A body that accompanies and revolves around a larger body; later, an artificial device in orbit.”
Modern English
English
satellite
“A moon, an orbiting machine, or a transmission-relay station.”