The Online Etymological Dictionary (www.Etymoline.com) gives the following origins of the word taxi and its derivates: taxi 1907, shortening of taximeter cab (introduced in London in March 1907), from taximeter "automatic meter to record the distance and fare" (1898), from Fr. taximètre, from Ger. Taxameter (1890), coined from Middle Latin  taxa "tax, charge." The verb […]