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sputnik

an artificial satellite, especially the pioneering Soviet series

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Where does the word "sputnik" come from? It comes from Russian sputnik, and was adopted directly into English (1957).

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Where does the word "sputnik" come from? It comes from Russian sputnik, and was adopted directly into English (1957).

Sputnik’s story begins in Russian: sputnik meant “a traveling companion.” Literally fellow traveler, the name of the first artificial satellite. It reached English by 1957 as sputnik. Adopted worldwide overnight after the satellite's launch made headlines. Today, sputnik means an artificial satellite, especially the pioneering Soviet series.

  1. Stage 1 · Russian · 1957 sputnik "a traveling companion", literally fellow traveler, the name of the first artificial satellite.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1957 sputnik "an artificial satellite", adopted worldwide overnight after the satellite's launch made headlines.

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