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Where does the word "parachute" come from? It comes from Italian parare, passing through French before entering English (1785).
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Where does the word "parachute" come from? It comes from Italian parare, passing through French before entering English (1785).
Parachute’s story begins in Italian: parare meant “to shield.” An Italian verb meaning to ward off, as in 'parasol'. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in French as parachute. 'para-', guard against, plus 'chute', fall; coined by Jean-Pierre Blanchard around 1785. It reached English by 1785 as parachute. First used for drops from balloons; military paratroopers date from the 1920s. Today, parachute means a device for slowing a fall.
- Stage 1 · Italian · 1700s parare "to shield", an Italian verb meaning to ward off, as in 'parasol'.
- Stage 2 · French · 1700s parachute "parachute", 'para-', guard against, plus 'chute', fall; coined by Jean-Pierre Blanchard around 1785.
- Stage 3 · English · 1785 parachute "safety canopy", first used for drops from balloons; military paratroopers date from the 1920s.