Meaning
What does ETA mean?
The meaning of ETA is “estimated time of arrival”.
Also known as the “bet you can’t get here earlier” meter on the GPS.
Origin
What's the origin of ETA?
The abbreviation was first documented in 1939, in a military context.
It has been in use in several wars, and later was endorsed by civilians as well.
Spread & Usage
How did ETA spread?
The availability of internet technology to the masses had enabled “eta” to be used online in the 90’s, and in texts, during the 2000’s.
Following the arrival of the new millennium, GPS technology became something of common nature, which uses the expression on a daily basis.
“Eta” was defined on Urban Dictionary as early as 2003.
Today we may encounter it in text messages, posts on social media sites as well as video games, to say the least.