A closer look
Etymologically, the word helicopter does not come from combining the fragments 'heli' and 'copter', but rather from the Greek words 'helico' meaning spiral, and 'pter' meaning wing. This means the exact same linguistic root that gives us the word pterodactyl is actively hiding inside the name of our favorite vertical-lift aircraft. It is a fascinating linguistic tidbit that highlights how terribly English speakers butcher classical languages when naming modern mechanical inventions. Of course, absolutely none of this etymological trivia will matter to you when you are desperately trying to sleep and a police chopper is hovering directly over your apartment building at three in the morning, rattling your windows with its spiral-wings while looking for a guy who stole a catalytic converter out of a Honda Accord
