Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!optilink!manley
From: manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Hetro dining? Webster's etymology says...
Message-ID: <4444@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 15 Sep 90 03:48:10 GMT
References: <SQUASH.90Sep5183021@boogie.math.ufl.edu> <17660105@hpfcdj.HP.COM>
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 15

In article <4437@optilink.UUCP>, elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) writes:
> In article <17660105@hpfcdj.HP.COM>, myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) writes:
> > >Sorry, but this is wrong. The 'super' in superheterodyne is actually
> > >a contraction of 'supersonic' ...
> 
> > An interesting theory, but I suspect that it's incorrect as far as the
> > actual origin of the word is concerned....

FYI:

According to Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary the etymology of the 
word 'superheterodyne' is: [*super*sonic + heterodyne].  The earliest date
of usage is 1922.

For 'heterodyne' no etymology is provided, although it is dated to 1908.