Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “telephony” come from?

Telephony comes from English telephone plus the suffix -y, from French téléphone, combining French télé- (from Ancient Greek τῆλε meaning "far") and French -phone (from Ancient Greek φωνή meaning "sound").

telephony (English): The act of sound transmission via the...

Definitions

  1. The act of sound transmission via the...

Ancestry of “telephony”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtelephoneA telecommunication device used for two-way...
2Frenchtéléphonetelephone; first-person singular present...
3Frenchtélé-tele-
4Ancient Greekτῆλεfar off, afar, far away
5Latincommūnicāre—
6Latincommūnis—
7Old Latincom(m)oinis—
8Proto-Italickommoinis—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “telephony”

  • radiotelephony
  • videotelephony
  • phototelephony
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →