Satnav

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A GPS-based electronic device that guides a driver along a route by voice and map display
2. An in-car or handheld system using satellite signals to calculate position and give directions
3. Navigation equipment that relies on orbiting satellites to plot a course and direct travellers

Etymology: "Satnav" is a shortening of "satellite navigation," built from the opening syllables of the two words: "sat" from "satellite" and "nav" from "navigation." Shortenings of this kind, which keep only the first syllables of a compound phrase, are often called clipped compounds. Linguists sometimes file them under blending instead, though true blends usually mix the start of one word with the end of another, so the classification is debated. The shape of the word matters more than its exact label. English speakers readily clip long technical phrases into short, punchy forms, and "satnav" follows the same pattern as many other abbreviations that trim descriptive terms into something quick to say in conversation. Its meaning stays exactly that of the full phrase: a system that uses signals from orbiting satellites to work out a position and guide a traveler, usually in a vehicle, toward a destination.

Synonyms: sat nav, GPS, navigation system