Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cinema” come from?

Cinema comes from French cinéma, shortened from French cinématographe, derived from Ancient Greek κινέω meaning to move, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-.

cinema (English): A movie theatre, a movie house; Films...

Definitions

  1. A movie theatre, a movie house; Films...

Ancestry of “cinema”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcinémacinema; playacting, drama, fuss
2Frenchcinématographecinematograph
3French-graphe-graph; -grapher
4Latin-graphus—
5Ancient Greek-γράφοςwriter, painter
6Ancient Greekγράφωto scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to...
7Proto-Hellenicgrəpʰōto scratch, cut or carve into; to draw ,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeangerbʰ-to carve
9Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “cinema”

  • cinemagoing
  • cinemagoer
  • cinematherapy
  • precinema
  • microcinema
  • cinemalike
  • cinematology
  • supercinema
  • noncinema
  • cinemaphotography
  • cinemaic
  • cinema-goer
  • anticinema
  • cinemo
  • सिनेमा
  • sinehan
  • sine
  • sinema
  • চিনেমা
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →