Photography
/fəˈtɑː.ɡrə.fi/noun
The art, practice, or process of making pictures by recording light on a sensitive surface or sensor.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 1830s from Greek roots, and its logic is almost magical: you are not just taking a picture, you are writing with light itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phōs / phōt-
“light”
Ancient Greek
Greek
graphē / graphein
“writing; to write, draw, scratch”
1830s
English
photography
“the process of producing images by the action of light”
Modern English
English
photography
“the art or process of making photographs”