cinema

Where does the word "cinema" come from? It comes from Greek kinema, passing through French before entering English (1900s).

Cinema’s story begins in Greek: kinema meant “movement.” Movement, the root behind moving pictures. By 1890s, the word had taken hold in French as cinematographe. Coined by the Lumiere brothers for their motion-picture projector. It reached English by 1900s as cinema. Shortened and settled as the word for the movies. Today, cinema means the art of motion pictures, or a movie theater.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kinema "movement", movement, the root behind moving pictures.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1890s cinematographe "a motion-picture projector", coined by the Lumiere brothers for their motion-picture projector.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s cinema "motion pictures, or a movie theater", shortened and settled as the word for the movies.