telegram (English)

Where does "telegram" come from?

The English noun 'telegram' is a modern formation combining the prefix 'tele-' meaning 'over a distance' with the suffix '-gram' meaning 'something recorded'[1]. It entered the language to describe a message transmitted by telegraph[1].

Full etymology tree

• telegram (English), 'A message transmitted by telegraph.'
  • prefix tele- (English), 'over a distance'
  • suffix -gram (English), 'Something written, drawn or otherwise recorded.'

Ancestors

• tele- (English)
• -gram (English)

Descendants and derived words

• cablegram (English)
• cablegram (English)
• circular telegram (English)
• fast telegram (English)
• letter telegram (English)
• radiotelegram (English)
• singing telegram (English)

Sources

1. telegram (English) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

More words starting with T

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris