Etymograph

English

laser

Laser comes from Latin radiatio ‘glittering, shining, radiation’, and goes back to radius ‘a spoke of a wheel’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEradius‘a spoke of a wheel’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEradiō
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEradiatio‘glittering, shining, radiation’
  4. English1500–presentradiation
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2004laser

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEradius‘a spoke of a wheel’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEradiō
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEradiatio‘glittering, shining, radiation’
  4. English1500–presentradiation
  5. Englishearliest quotation 2004laser

Earliest quotation: 2004, PC Mag: “The bad news is that nearly every color laser…”

The story

Coined by American physicist Gordon Gould in 1957. Originally called an optical maser.

Linked words

through Latin radius ‘a spoke of a wheel’

ray, radius, radial, rayon, 7 more

through Latin radiō

radiant, radiate, 2 more

through Latin radiatio ‘glittering, shining, radiation’

radiation

Another origin of laser

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElaser‘the juice of the plant laserpitium, asafoetida’
  2. Englishtodaysame form

Today it means

noun A device that produces a monochromatic, coherent beam of light.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin radius / laser

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