Etymology

FaCIAbook

F4A1C3I1A1B3O1O1K5

Today it means: The social networking site Facebook. Full definition →

English CIA ← Medieval Latin agēntia ← Latin agēns
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
  4. Proto-Italic*θakjō
  5. Proto-Italic*fakjō
  6. Latinfaciō
  7. Latinfaciēs
  8. Late Latinfacia
  9. Old Frenchface
  10. Middle Englishface
  11. Englishface
  12. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂ǵosder.?
  13. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂g-der.?
  14. Proto-Germanic*bōks
  15. Proto-West Germanic*bōk
  16. Old Englishbōc
  17. Middle Englishbok
  18. Englishbook
  19. Englishnamebookinflu.
  20. Englishfacebook
  21. EnglishFacebook
  22. Proto-Indo-European*ḱen-?
  23. Proto-Indo-European*ḱéntrom
  24. Proto-Hellenic*kéntron
  25. Ancient Greekκέντρον (kéntron)
  26. Latincentrum
  27. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  28. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  29. Latincentrālis
  30. Englishcentral
  31. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  32. Proto-Indo-European*h₁n̥tér
  33. Proto-Italic*n̥ter
  34. Latininter
  35. Latininter-
  36. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  37. Proto-Indo-European*léǵeti
  38. Proto-Italic*legō
  39. Latinlegō?
  40. Proto-Indo-European*h₂leg-
  41. Proto-Indo-European*h₂légeti
  42. Proto-Italic*legō?
  43. Latinintellegō
  44. Latinintellegēns
  45. Latinintellegentia
  46. Old Frenchintelligence
  47. Middle Englishintelligence
  48. Englishintelligence
  49. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  50. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  51. Proto-Italic*agō
  52. Latinagō
  53. Latinagēns
  54. Medieval Latinagēntia
  55. Englishagency
  56. EnglishCentral Intelligence Agencyinit.
  57. EnglishCIA
  58. English todayFaCIAbook

Blend of Facebook + CIA, suggesting that the site has an ulterior motive of spying on its users, or is a tool of the US government.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.