Photograph was coined in 1839 from elements meaning light and something written. The metaphor makes the technology surprisingly intuitive: light leaves a record. It was one of several competing names for the new kind of picture.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster · photograph
Dictionary word history; the component and historical references below supply additional detail.
- Online Etymology Dictionary · photograph
Historical forms, meanings, and context for the route described here.
- Merriam-Webster · photo-
Meaning of the component used in this puzzle.
- Merriam-Webster · -graph
Meaning of the component used in this puzzle.