ardian
English
Etymology
A compounding of the (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Scottish Gaelic àrd (“chief”) + eun (“bird”).
Noun
ardian (plural ardians)
- (military, historical) A proposed but unadopted air-officer rank of the Royal Air Force equivalent to air vice-marshal.
- 1936, The Periodical XXI–XXII, page 67
- A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. […] “Ardian” comes from the Gaelic “Ard” meaning “chief”, and “Ian” or “Eun”, a “bird”.
- 1936, The Periodical XXI–XXII, page 67