'airwave' originates from the combination of 'air' and 'wave', where 'air' refers to the medium through which radio waves travel, and 'wave' refers to the oscillating signal used in broadcasting.

'airwave' was formed in the early 20th century as radio technology developed, combining 'air' and 'wave' to describe the medium of radio transmission.

Initially, it referred specifically to radio frequencies, but now it includes television and other broadcast frequencies.