University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-01-04
NEW WORDS WANTED
FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION
Wanted-NeW words!

cation mas DeeH lllOIe ldpiu ehe'a 'iiN
progress of the worlds vocabulary;
men are actually sailing the air, and
successfully and gracefully, but when
it comes to telling about it, we are
without fitting words, and our Ian
guage is halt and lame and wobbles
woefully.
For instance-what are we going
to call the contrivance that navigates
the air? The very general term, my
ing machine cOnfuses aeroplanes
with dirigible balloons. The descrlp-
tive term, heavier-than-air machines,
which is very generally used. is too
awkward and undeserving OF popular
ity for everyday use. Likewise, aero
plane is purely descriptive and has no
poetry in it: tri-plane, monoplane and
bi-plane are open to the same Objec-
ton. Aircraft has been suggested
by an Englishman as good word, and
so has "sky-craft" The latter is mere
poetical than any so far suggested.
And what shall be the name given
to the man who controls and operates
"sky-craft?" Evidently pilot is not
good-it suggests the bewhiskered
man who takes charge of an ocean
liner as it comes into port. The word
| is descriptive, in way, but it does
not suggest the character of the craft
piloted; it tells nothing of the keen
eyed, daring man who skins through
the air between heaven and earth on
way and that like a bird. 'ACrOplan-
ist," and "aerialist" have been used,
but neither seems just the word. The
former. it is true, is much used, but
it is awkward nevertheless. Pattern
ing after the terms ''horseman,' sea
man." and their like, some writers
have used "airman," but it does not
quite fit. Flyer and flying-man have
been suggested and the French have in
a way adopted the former term. But
by no one has there been offered
word that seems pat-one that is so
good that there is no need of look
ing elsewhere.
All sorts OF words and phrases
have been coined to describe the
grounds where races among flying
machines are held. "Aerodrome" was
the word largely used to desclibe the
great siX-mile course at Rheims. 1t is
not a bad word, but it is clumsy. So
far, in England, we have made gen
eral use Of the word aviation ground"
This has the merit of describing exact
y what such ground is. But, at the
same time, it is not clever. 1t says
in two words what should be the
ambition to say in one. Many news
paper correspondents, faced with the
confusion OF words at Rheims, made
the best Of bad job, and called the
wide eXpanse OF fat pasture land an
aerial racecourse." This was admit
ted to be not at all bad, as 1t had
breezy, pleasant suggestion about it,
On similar line OF thought was the
description flying track" But this
was not particularly happy, for it con-
iured up too vividly the trottiHg track
and the narrow ribbon on which run
ming and cycle races are held. 1t was
a poor description for that splendid
open stretch of country.
The word "aviatorium" has been
suggested as being suitable for the
purpose of describing the places where
aeroplanes come together in contest.
1t is a painfully clumsy word. and is
not in the least picturesque either.
Besides, it really means nothing.
'Air-course" is distinctly better. But
even this leaves much to be desired.
A brand-new word is what is wanted
"a word that will suggest the new
sport which is with us, word that
will convey some idea of the strange
ness of the great fiat expanses which
are needed as the playing ground of
mans new aerial steeds.
III tdihiHS OF the places where aero
planes lie when they are not in use.
we have begun to adopt a French
word-hangar. 1t is terribly ugly.
"Aeroplane garage" is clumsy. Air
she'd suggests nothing in particular.
An endeavor to merge the words "air"
and garage" has produced a mon
strosity-" "airage." She'd" by itself
is distinctly derogatory. "Aero-dock,"
much more reasonable word. is us,.
ally associated with dirigible balloons.
and not aeroplanes. Here, too. a new
word will be wanted before country
sportmen begin to have a shelter for
their aeroplanes next door to the
garages of their motor cars.
The need of these words is not one
OF the future-they are needed now
That our vocabulary is deficient in
this respect is another bit of evidence
that this is rapid age.