navy

Where does the word "navy" come from? It comes from Latin navis, passing through Old French before entering English (1500s).

Navy’s story begins in Latin: navis meant “ship.” The same root gives 'naval', 'navigate', and the 'nave' of a church. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as navie. A collective term for ships. It reached English by 1500s as navy. Came to mean a state's organized sea force; 'navy blue' is from Royal Navy uniforms. Today, navy means a country's warships and the people who serve on them.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient navis "ship", the same root gives 'naval', 'navigate', and the 'nave' of a church.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval navie "fleet", a collective term for ships.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s navy "a nation's warships and sailors", came to mean a state's organized sea force; 'navy blue' is from Royal Navy uniforms.