English
camera
Camera is from Latin camera ‘chamber’ (short for camera obscura), from Ancient Greek καμάρα ‘vault’, of Iranian origin.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂em-‘to bend, curve’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*kmáratireconstructed
- Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kamáratireconstructed
- Proto-Iranian, derivedprehistoric (reconstructed)*kamarā-‘something curved’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκαμάραkamára‘vaulted chamber, vault’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcamera‘chamber’
- Englishearliest quotation 2003same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kh₂em-‘to bend, curve’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*kmáratireconstructed
- Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kamáratireconstructed
- Proto-Iranian, derivedprehistoric (reconstructed)*kamarā-‘something curved’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκαμάραkamára‘vaulted chamber, vault’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcamera‘chamber’
- Englishearliest quotation 2003same form
Earliest quotation: 2003, Tom Meigs: “If you're building a third-person game with enclosed or…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- ‘to bend, curve’
campaign, champion, campus, chimney, kemp, champaign, kam, skimp, gam, jamb, gamba, cantonment, camber, campanile, campagna, 19 more
through Latin camera ‘chamber or bedchamber’
Today it means
noun A device for taking still or moving pictures or photographs.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em- / camera