Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “photoplay” come from?

Photoplay derives from English photo- combined with play, ultimately tracing through Ancient Greek φῶς and φᾰ́ος, Latin placitum and placere, to Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂-.

photoplay (English): a theatrical play that has been filmed for...

Definitions

  1. a theatrical play that has been filmed for...

Ancestry of “photoplay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishplayTo act in a manner such that one has fun; to...
2Middle EnglishpleyeHappiness, mirth, jolliness, or gaiety; Fun,...
3Old Englishpleġaexercise
4Proto-West Germanicplegōcare; an exercise; a game
5Proto-West Germanic-ōCreates adverbs from adjectives; Creates agent...
6Proto-Germanic-ô-ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade...
7Proto-Indo-European-ōDerives nouns from roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ō →