media

Where does the word "media" come from? It comes from Latin medius, and was adopted directly into English (1920s).

Media’s story begins in Latin: medius meant “middle.” Middle, the root behind a means or channel through which something is conveyed. It reached English by 1920s as media. Marshall McLuhan's 'the medium is the message' (1964) popularized media studies. Today, media means the channels of mass communication, such as television, radio, and the press.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient medius "middle", middle, the root behind a means or channel through which something is conveyed.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1920s media "channels of mass communication", Marshall McLuhan's 'the medium is the message' (1964) popularized media studies.