Where does “Betamax” come from?

Betamax (English) comes from English -max, from English maximum, from Latin Maximus, from Proto-Italic *magisVmos.

Betamax (English): A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS

Definitions

  1. A home videocassette recording format developed by Sony in 1975, now known for having lost the format war to VHS

Ancestry of “Betamax”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-maxDenotes maximum dimensions of a vessel that can travel through the given canal
2EnglishmaximumThe highest limit; The greatest value of a set or...
3LatinMaximusthe greatest
4Proto-Italic*magisVmos
Every word from Proto-Italic *magisVmosEvery word from Latin MaximusEvery word from English maximum