Etymology Map
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Video

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means recorded moving images

Where does the word "video" come from? It comes from Latin videre, adopted directly into English (1930s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
videre
Latin · ancient
"to see"
'video' means 'I see', the first-person form
2
Stage 2 of 2
video
English · 1930s
"visual broadcast"
coined in American broadcasting on the model of 'audio'
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Read the full story

Video’s story begins in Latin: videre meant “to see.” 'video' means 'I see', the first-person form. It reached English by 1930s as video. Coined in American broadcasting on the model of 'audio'. Today, video means recorded moving images.