WSJ article - etymology of "helicopter"

[Aaron R]

The WSJ ran a very short article on the origin of the word "helicopter." Also includes some discussion about gyros. I hope the link doesn't send you to a paywall.

 

[XXavier]

The WSJ ran a very short article on the origin of the word "helicopter." Also includes some discussion about gyros. I hope the link doesn't send you to a paywall.

There's a paywall, I fear... Here's the article in image form:

 

[WaspAir]

Thanks to both of you.

 

[Tyger]

Yep, "helico" is separate from "pter".
That's why the term "gyrocopter" makes no etymological sense. If you really want to use the "pter", it should be simply, "gyropter".

 

[WaspAir]

As I recall, researchers discovered that many ulcers were caused by helicobacter pylori, a nasty little stomach bug that takes on a spiral (helical) shape; hence the "helico" with the "bacter" part rather obvious.

I think Kaman got it right when they named the synchronized intermeshing rotor ship a synchropter.

 

[Tyger]

As I recall, researchers discovered that many ulcers were caused by helicobacter pylori, a nasty little stomach bug that takes on a spiral (helical) shape; hence the "helico" with the "bacter" part rather obvious.

There are a lot of "spirochetes" that are much worse than H. pylori, including ones that cause syphilis, Lyme disease, yaws, and relapsing fever.

I won't make any jokes about "yaws control", but they do seem to move in interesting ways:

On the Curious Motions of Syphilis and Lyme Disease Bacteria

The bacteria that cause syphilis and Lyme Disease have something extraordinary in common: they manage to propel themselves through their environment in spite of the fact their tails are located inside their bodies.

blogs.scientificamerican.com

 

[WaspAir]

This makes me wonder what sort of microbe infects all of us deranged folks who go mad for these rotary winged contraptions we fly.