autonavigator
|au-to-na-vi-ga-tor|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˈnævɪɡeɪtər/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˈnævɪɡeɪtə/
self-guiding navigation system
Etymology
'autonavigator' originates from Modern English, specifically the prefix 'auto-' (from Greek 'autós') meaning 'self' combined with 'navigator' (from Latin 'navigare' via Old French), where 'autós' meant 'self' and 'navigare' meant 'to sail/steer.'
'navigator' changed from Latin 'navigator' (a sailor or one who sails) into Old French 'navigateur' and then into Middle/Modern English 'navigator.' The prefix 'auto-' entered English from Greek 'autós' as a productive prefix meaning 'self-, automatic.' The compound 'autonavigator' is a modern formation (20th–21st century) arising with automated guidance and navigation technology.
Initially the components meant 'self' (auto-) and 'to sail/steer' (navigate); over time the compound came to mean 'a self-operating navigation device or system' in the context of modern vehicles and robotics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device, system, or integrated module that determines and controls a vehicle or robot's route automatically without continuous human intervention; an autonomous navigation system used in vehicles, drones, ships, aircraft, or robots.
The drone's autonavigator adjusted its course to avoid unexpected obstacles.
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Noun 2
a software algorithm or module that computes positioning, path planning and steering commands to allow autonomous movement and route-following.
Engineers updated the autonavigator to improve obstacle recognition and path planning.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 08:18