There's a hashtag going around relating to Kubernetes going GA: #imakubernaut (i.e. I'm a Kubernaut)
#iamkubernaut but also know enough Greek for "kubernaut" to seem really odd
— James Tauber (@jtauber) August 26, 2015
of course, it wouldn't be the first time analogical word formation misinterpreted / reanalyzed what the original components meant :-)
— James Tauber (@jtauber) August 26, 2015
Let me explain what I mean.
Firstly, kubernetes is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης which means the helmsman or captain of a ship (or more generally, one who guides or figuratively steers).
Interesting side note: the "Phi Beta Kappa" in the Phi Beta Kappa Society, stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης we can be translated "Love of learning (philosophy) is the guide of life".
There it's used figuratively to mean "guide" rather than literally a helmsman.
"Kubernetes" is a great name for what Kubernetes does and the logo of a ship's wheel is fitting.
What about "-naut" then?
Word formations such as "kubernaut" and "Djangonaut" are clearly formed by analogy with words like "cosmonaut" and "astronaut".
The latter combine the Greek words for universe and star (κόσμος and ἄστρον) with the Greek word for sailor (ναύτης).
An astronaut (ἄστρον ναύτης) is literally a "star sailor" although it's important to note that's not what it actually means. But it's clear how the coinage of the word relates to its component Greek parts.
Of course, just from the perspective of English word formation, "-naut" started out taking from "sailor" the idea of "someone who travels amongst" and hence astronaut.
Words like Djangonaut and Kubernaut are taking it a little further, no longer making reference to "travel" so much as just someone who "works with" or "uses".
So "kubernaut" makes sense as "someone who works with kubernetes" as long as you stop thinking of what "kubernetes" means in Greek and (rightly) analyze it as an English word referencing to a piece of software.
So while I'm not complaining about "kubernaut" any more than I'd complain about a word like "butterfly" or "cranberry", it did stick out like a sore thumb to me initially because I'm so familiar with the component parts.
Native English speakers don't generally get confused by "butterfly" not having anything obvious to do with "butter", so I'll eventually get used to "kubernaut" not literally meaning a "helmsman sailor".
I don't mean "helmsman sailor" as in helmsman and/or sailor. I mean a "sailor of helmsmen" (meta) or a "sailor amongst the helmsmen" (redundant).