Where does “porno” come from?
Porno is a clipped form of English pornography, which derives from French -ique and Ancient Greek γράφω meaning to write, combined with Proto-Indo-European -kos and ger-.
porno (English): Pornographic; Pornography; A pornographic film
Definitions
- Pornographic; Pornography; A pornographic film
Ancestry of “porno”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pornography | The explicit literary or visual depiction of... |
| 2 | French | pornographie | pornography |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πορνογράφος | A pornographic author |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |