telegraph
/ˈteləɡˌɹæf/TEH-luh-graf
/ˈtɛləɡˌɹæf/TEH-luh-graf
Meaningfar-off writer
Common meaning: a system for sending messages over a distance by wire
- telefar offLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 804 · scan
- graphto scratch marks, hence to write or drawLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 317 · scan
‘far off’ + ‘to scratch marks, hence to write or draw’ → telegraph
Journey through time
- tele — Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle) “far off” (path traced)
- graph — Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) “to scratch marks, hence to write or draw” (path traced)
- Greekτῆλε (têle) + γράφω (gráphō)‘far off + to scratch marks, hence to write or draw’
- Englishtelegraph‘a system for sending messages over a distance by wire’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle) ‘far off’ + Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō) ‘to scratch marks, hence to write or draw’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry γράφω (gráphō), p. 317 · dictionary scan
Roots
- γράφω (gráphō) Ancient Greek “to scratch marks, hence to write or draw”
- τῆλε (têle) Ancient Greek “far off”
Related words
autobiographyautographbibliographybiographycalligraphyepigraphethnographygeographylithographmonographorthographypalaeography
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