telephone

Where does the word "telephone" come from? It comes from Greek tele + phone, and was adopted directly into English (1870s).

Telephone’s story begins in Greek: tele + phone meant “far sound.” Combining "tele" (far) and "phone" (sound, voice). It reached English by 1870s as telephone. Coined from Greek roots to name the newly invented device. Today, telephone means a device used to transmit and receive sound, especially speech, over a distance.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient tele + phone "far sound", combining "tele" (far) and "phone" (sound, voice).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1870s telephone "a device for transmitting voice over distance", coined from Greek roots to name the newly invented device.