Etymology of 'biography': Where Does the Word Come From?
The ancient Greeks loved to record the lives of important people. They combined "bio" (life) with "graph" (write) to create this word.
Origin
Greek
Word roots
- bio — life
- graph — write, written
Literal meaning
life writing
First used
1680s
Related words
- biology — study of life
- photograph — light writing
- autograph — self writing
Fun fact
The first modern biography is thought to be written about Charlemagne in the 800s.
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