Etymology

photoplay

P3H4O1T1O1P3L1A1Y4

Today it means: A theatrical play that has been filmed for showing as a movie. Full definition →

English play ← Middle English pleye ← Old English plega
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Proto-West Germanic*plehan
  9. Old Englishpleġan
  10. Proto-West Germanic*plegō
  11. Proto-West Germanic*plegōn
  12. Old Englishplegian
  13. Middle Englishpleyen
  14. Proto-West Germanic*plegō
  15. Old Englishplega
  16. Middle Englishpleye
  17. Englishplay
  18. English todayphotoplay

From photo- + play.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.