Where does “telegram” come from?
Telegram derives from English -gram, from Ancient Greek -γραμμα and γράμμα meaning "something written," from γράφω meaning "to write," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ger- meaning "to gather or scrape."
telegram (English): A message transmitted by telegraph; To send a...
Definitions
- A message transmitted by telegraph; To send a...
Ancestry of “telegram”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -gram | Something written, drawn or otherwise recorded |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | γράμμα | that which is written, that which is drawn,... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |