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cinéma

Etymology and origin of the French word cinéma

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Clipping
First attested
1893
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French cinéma
English cinema

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /si.ne.ma/[1]

Forms

cinéma m (plural cinémas)[1]

Etymology

It is a clipping of cinématographe,[2][3][4][1][5] the name the Lumière brothers gave their apparatus (1892 as a proper name; patent of 1893), formed from Ancient Greek κίνημα (kínēma, “movement”), from “kinein” “to move”, and -graphe.[2][3][6] The Greek word belongs to a root “*kei-” also behind Latin “citus” “quick”.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Rey and the Petit Robert date the short form to 1893, showing how fast the process became popular; the TLFi's first record (Trutat, 1899) has cinéma for the apparatus.[3][7][2]

Semantic evolution

Apart from the historical sense, cinéma took over from cinématographe (still preferred by Cocteau and Bresson for its artistic sense) the senses “art of making films”, “film industry”, “cinema (building)” and “showing”.[3][7] Familiar speech shortened it to ciné (1905, now dated) and cinoche (1935), and formed faire du cinéma “to put on an act” and se faire du cinéma.[3][8] Cinématographie dates from 1895 and cinématographique from 1896.[3] English cinema (1899) is from French.[6]

Timeline

  • 1892 – Cinématographe, a proper name.[3]
  • 1893 – Cinéma.[3]
  • 1895 – Cinématographie.[3]
  • 1899 – The apparatus, in Trutat, English cinema.[2][6]
  • 1905 – Ciné.[3]
  • 1935 – Cinoche.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The cinema, film-making (the art): le cinéma muet, faire du cinéma.[7][1]
  2. The cinema, films; the film industry: le cinéma français.[8][1]
  3. A cinema, movie theatre: aller au cinéma.[1][7]
  4. (familiar) Play-acting, fuss: arrête ton cinéma.[1][3]

Word family

  • télécinéma
  • ciné
  • cinoche
  • cinéaste
  • cinéphile
  • cinématographe
  • cinétique
  • English cinema

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 679b
  6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Cinéma.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/cin%C3%A9ma. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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