Etymology Map
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Photo

2 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a photograph

Where does the word "photo" come from? It comes from Greek phōs, adopted directly into English (1860).

1
Stage 1 of 2
phōs
Greek · ancient
"light"
Greek, genitive 'phōtos'
2
Stage 2 of 2
photo
English · 1860
"photograph"
short for 'photograph', coined by John Herschel in 1839
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Read the full story

Photo’s story begins in Greek: phōs meant “light.” Greek, genitive 'phōtos'. It reached English by 1860 as photo. Short for 'photograph', coined by John Herschel in 1839. Today, photo means a photograph.