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stereophonic
/ˌstɛri.oʊˈfɑnɪk/Reproducing sound with an impression of spatial depth
From Greek stereo- (Solid) + Greek phonic (Sound).
Word Ancestry
Picture a Greek speaker describing something solid and firm: stereos (στερεός). Centuries later, English borrowed stereo- for words about solidity and three-dimensional form, including stereoscope, an instrument for viewing pictures with depth. The other half reaches back to Greek phōnē (φωνή), “sound” or “voice,” and is related to the word-building element in phonetic. In 1927, stereo- and -phonic came together by analogy with stereoscopic, promising not just sound but sound that seemed to occupy space. The word’s little trick is to make your ears do what a stereoscope does for your eyes: perceive depth from a carefully arranged pair of signals.
The Story
Picture a Greek speaker describing something solid and firm: stereos (στερεός). Centuries later, English borrowed stereo- for words about solidity and three-dimensional form, including stereoscope, an instrument for viewing pictures with depth. The other half reaches back to Greek phōnē (φωνή), “sound” or “voice,” and is related to the word-building element in phonetic. In 1927, stereo- and -phonic came together by analogy with stereoscopic, promising not just sound but sound that seemed to occupy space. The word’s little trick is to make your ears do what a stereoscope does for your eyes: perceive depth from a carefully arranged pair of signals.
Kin & Kindred
From 'stereo-'·Solid, firm; later, three-dimensional
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'phonic'·Sound, voice
Derived Terms
English words from this root