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Origin and history of -graph

-graph

modern word-forming element meaning "instrument for recording; that which writes, marks, or describes; something written," from Greek -graphos "-writing, -writer" (as in autographos "written with one's own hand"), from graphe "writing, the art of writing, a writing," from graphein "to write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn" (see -graphy). Adopted widely (Dutch -graaf, German -graph, French -graphe, Spanish -grafo). Related: -grapher; -graphic; -graphical.

Entries linking to -graph

allograph(n.)

"writing made by another person," by 1900, from allo- "other" + -graph "something written." Especially in law, "a deed not written by any of the parties to it." The linguistics sense of "form of an alphabetic letter" is from 1951; here the second element is abstracted from grapheme. Related: Allographic.

cardiograph(n.)

"apparatus for recording by tracing the beating of the heart," 1867, from cardio- + -graph "something written."

Although the work does not treat of the recent means of diagnosis—the thermometer, laryngoscope, cardiograph, etc.,—still it is complete as far as it goes. [book review in Medical Investigator, May 1867, p.94]
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diagraph
"instrument for drawing objects without the need for artistic skill," 1847; see dia- + -graph. It consists of a carriage for a pencil governed by a system of cords and pulleys working at right angles to one another, and set in motion by the movement of a pointer, which is passed
heliograph
1848, "instrument for taking photographs of the sun," from helio- "sun" + -graph "something written." Earlier, "a description of the sun" (1706, implied in heliographic). From 1877 as the name of a movable mirror used in signaling. Related: Heliographical. Heliography (1845) was
logograph
"instrument for giving a graphic representation of speech, word-writer," 1879, from logo- "word" + -graph "instrument for recording; something written." Earliest use (1797) is in the sense "logogriph," and it frequently was used in place of that word (see logogriph). In ancient G
smooth
Of a graph, etc., "modify values to remove irregularities," by 1889. Related: Smoothed; smoothing....
bar
Bar graph is attested from 1925. Bar code first recorded 1963....
family
Family tree "graph of ancestral relations" attested from 1752....
artillery
late 14c., "warlike munitions," especially ballistic engines, from Anglo-French artillerie, Old French artillerie (14c.), from artillier "to provide with engines of war" (13c.), which probably is from Medieval Latin articulum "art, skill," a diminutive of Latin ars (genitive arti
trim
mid-15c., probably from Old English trymian, trymman "strengthen, fortify, confirm; comfort; incite; set in order, arrange, prepare, make ready; become strong," from trum "strong, stable," from Proto-Germanic *trum-, from PIE *dru-mo-, suffixed form of root *deru- "be firm, solid
trivia
"trivialities, bits of information of little consequence," by 1932, from the title of a popular book by U.S.-born British aphorist Logan Pearsall Smith (1865-1946) first published in 1902 but popularized in 1918 (with "More Trivia" following in 1921 and a collected edition includ
pirate
c. 1300 (mid-13c. as a surname), "a sea-robber, sea-plunderer, one who without authority and by violence seizes or interferes with the ship or property of another on the sea," especially one who is habitually engaged in such robbery or sails the seas for the robbery and plunder o

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