'aircraftman' originates from the combination of 'aircraft' and 'man', where 'aircraft' refers to any machine capable of flight and 'man' refers to a person involved in a specific role.

'aircraftman' was coined in the early 20th century as aviation technology advanced and the need for specialized roles in aircraft maintenance became apparent.

Initially, it referred to any person working with aircraft, but over time it has become more specific to those involved in maintenance and repair.