Where does “videotape” come from?
I notice this chain has structural problems that make it impossible to write an accurate etymology sentence: 1. The chain lists "Proto-Indo-European weyd-" twice consecutively, which seems like a data error 2. It then jumps to "Proto-Germanic tappô" without clear connection to the weyd- root 3. The chain then shifts to an entirely different root (Latin papyrus → Greek πάπυρος → PIE deh₂-), which doesn't connect to "video" or "tape" 4. The known meaning is listed as "(unknown)" for a word whose meaning is well-established **I cannot write an accurate one-sentence summary from this chain** because it appears to conflate two separate etymologies or contains transcription errors. To proceed, I would need: - Clarification on what the actual chain should be (videotape should derive from English video + tape,
videotape (English): magnetic tape used to record both video images...
Definitions
- magnetic tape used to record both video images...
Ancestry of “videotape”, step by step
videotape traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tape
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tape | Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface... |
| 2 | Middle English | tape | Alternative form of tappe; band, ribbon, tape |
| 3 | Old English | tæppa | tap, spigot; band, ribbon, tape |
| 4 | Frankish | tappō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tappô | plug; tap |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |