pionero
/pjoˈneɾo/ · B2 · adj
pioneering
🚀🧭 pionero = pion- (foot soldier) + -ero: the one who walks first
Pionero comes from French pionnier, from Old French peon, meaning foot soldier. Foot soldiers went ahead to clear the path for the army, so the word came to mean anyone who goes first. Say pee-oh-NEH-ro and link it to English pioneer.