1899, "movie hall," from French cinéma, shortened from cinématographe "device for projecting a series of photographs in rapid succession so as to produce the illusion of movement," coined 1890s by Lumiere brothers, who invented the technology, from Latinized form of Greek kinēmat-, combining form of kinēma "movement," from kinein "to move" (from PIE root *keie- "to set in motion"). For the second element in the French compound, see -graphy.
The word was earlier in English in its fuller form, cinematograph (1896), but this has been displaced by the short form. Other old words for such a system were vitascope (Edison, 1895), animatograph (1898). The meaning "movies collectively, especially as an art form" recorded by 1914. Cinéma vérité is 1963, from French.
1914, "of or pertaining to movies," from French cinématique (by 1902), from cinéma (see cinema). Earlier (1883) it was a variant form of kinematic (see kinematics). Related: Cinematically.
former alternative spelling of cinema, with the Greek k-.
cinema chain built by U.S. entertainment mogul Samuel L. "Roxy" Rothafel (1882-1936).
1897, "one who takes cinematic pictures," agent noun from cinematograph "motion picture projector" (see cinema).
late 14c., from Anglo-French and Old French verite "truth, sincerity, loyalty" (12c.), from Latin veritatem (nominative veritas) "truth, truthfulness," from verus "true" (from PIE root *were-o- "true, trustworthy"). Modern French vérité, literally "truth," was borrowed into English 1966 as a term for naturalism or realism in film, etc.
1902, in the classical sense, from Greek ōideion "building for musical performance," from Greek ōidē "song, ode" (see ode). The chain of lavish cinema theaters operated under that name by 1930 (the name had been used earlier for cinema theaters in France and Italy).
abbreviation of cinema used in compounds or as a stand-alone, 1928, perhaps partly from French ciné (1917).
