Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “microfilm” come from?

Microfilm comes from English film combined with the Ancient Greek μικρός meaning small, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots smēyg-, smē-, pel(w)-, and pel-.

microfilm (English): a continuous roll of film containing photographs...

Definitions

  1. a continuous roll of film containing photographs...

Ancestry of “microfilm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFilm—
2Russianфильмfilm, movie
3EnglishfilmA thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a...
4Middle Englishfilmefilm, membrane
5Old Englishfilmenmembrane; caul; foreskin
6Proto-West Germanic*filmīn-—
7Proto-Germanic*filmīn-—

Words derived from “microfilm”

  • microfilmer
  • microfilmable
  • microfilm
  • microfilm
Every word from Proto-Germanic *filmīn- →