Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite of the Earth, launched into orbit on October 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union. The reaction by the United States was one of panic as the United States entered a space race with the Soviet Union.

In the Pixar animated movie Toy Story 2, Sputnik is given to Woody the cowboy as the reason why Buzz Lightyear became so popular.

The form of the word "Sputnik" spawned many other words.

• spoofnik (first dog in space, on Sputnik 2)
• neatnik
• beatnik
• peacenik (an earlier term was "peace-monger")

The Russian word is "спутник" or "sputnik".

• The Russian word "c" ≈ "with".

Prefix: Notice the prefix "с-" as the first letter, which in Russian is pronounced like an English "s-". The Russian letter "с" can be a preposition, as a separate word, and with a primary meaning of "with". Often, this preposition, over time, can become part of the following word, is in "sputnik".

Suffix: Notice the suffix "-ик" which often makes the root word refer to a person and is related to the root word. One similar English concept is that of the suffix "-er" which turns "act" into "actor", "law" into "lawyer" (with an extra helping letter), "build" into "builder", etc.

The root word of "sputnik" is the Russian word "путь" (poot) ≈ "way, path" which appears to be related to the English word "path".

• The modern Greek word "οδός" (o-THOS) ≈ "path, way, road" from which we get the word "exodus".

The early Christian movement called themselves "the way" using the same Greek word.

This word appears to be cognate with the English word "path" though ancient Persian and through Scythia.

The German word "Pfad" ≈ "path" but the word German word "der Weg" ≈ "the way" is used here.

• The English words "wei", "waye", "weie", and "way" follow the historical Linguistic trend that a hard "g" changes to a softer "y" sound, as in German "Garten" to English "yard" and older English "guard" to "ward" (both from French at different times), and the German "weg" (above) to "way".
• The Gothic word "wig" ≈ "way" is used here, which is similar to the German "Weg".

More: Germanic g to English y

• The Latin word "viam" ≈ "road".
• The Spanish word "camino" ≈ "path, way, road"

The Latin word "via dolorosa" ≈ "sorrowful way" or "way of suffering" represents the path Jesus might have taken on his way to the crucifixion.

So the Russian word without the prefix is "путник" (sputnik) ≈ "wayfarer, traveler".

The ancient Greek word "σταθμός" ≈ "standing place, stall, pen, lodge" .

The modern Greek word "σταθμός" (sta-THMOS) ≈ "station, terminal" as in a bus or train station.

In the following verse, the Russian word with the prefix is "спутник" (spoot-neek) ≈ "traveling companion".

The Russian suffix "ов" has to do with "with" or "to".

The Wycliffe "felawis" is an earlier version of "fellows" and comes from the Old Norse and Proto-Germanic from what became "fee" and "lay down" as in someone who lays down money with someone else in a joint venture.

• The German word "legen" ≈ "lay".
• The German word "lagen" ≈ "lay".
• Note the shift of the "g" to "y" as in the German "lagen" or "legen" and the English "lay". The shift in the word "Regen" for "rain" went through a similar transformation where the "en" ending shortened or disappeared over time.

More: Germanic g to English y

• The Tyndale "companios" is an earlier version of "companions" which is similar to the Spanish and earlier Latin with the literal meaning of those who "eat bread" together.
• The Latin word "com" ≈ "with, along with, together".
• The Latin word "panem" ≈ "bread".

Note the Wycliffe "teaatre" for "theater" but starting with a "t" and not a "th" sound.