'aviatory' originates from Latin via the noun 'aviator' (from Latin 'avis'), where 'avis' meant 'bird' and the suffix '-ator' indicated an agent or doer.

'aviatory' developed in modern English from the noun 'aviator' (from French/Modern Latin forms related to 'avis'), with the adjective form arising as aviation technology and discourse expanded in the 19th century.

Initially connected to 'bird' (literally 'of birds') through Latin roots, the term shifted in modern usage to primarily mean 'relating to aviation or flight' (including aircraft and aviators).