explorer (French)
Where does "explorer" come from?
The word 'explorer' originates from the Latin verb 'explōrāre,' which combined the prefix 'ex-' meaning 'out' with 'plōrō,' a term for crying out. Historically, this likely referred to scouts who would shout to search out or investigate an area for game while hunting. From Latin, the term passed into French before entering the English language, ultimately evolving into our modern term for one who travels in search of discovery.
Full etymology tree
- explorer (French), 'to explore'
- borrowed explōrāre (Latin), 'inflection of explōrō:'
- prefix ex- (Latin), 'out, away'
- inherited *eks (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *h₁eǵʰs (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *eks (Proto-Italic)
- compound plōrō (Latin), 'to cry out'
- inherited *pleh₃(w)- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to swim, flow'
- prefix ex- (Latin), 'out, away'
- borrowed explōrāre (Latin), 'inflection of explōrō:'
Ancestors
- exploro (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- exploration (French)
- explorateur (French)
- exploratrice (French)
- machine à explorer le temps (French)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris