The story behind “antenna”, from its beginnings to its meaning today. #words #vocabulary
Text from the published carousel. Swipe or scroll through the cards, or read them in order with your keyboard.
1 / 4
A WORD’S STORY: Where did “antenna” come from?. Meaning: An electrical device that sends or receives radio or television signals. Swipe to see how it got that meaning.
2 / 4
WHERE IT BEGAN: First, the origin of “antenna”. Latin antenna or antemna meant the yard that supported a ship's sail. Renaissance scholarly Latin used antenna to translate Greek keraia, horn or yardarm, in Aristotle's description of insect feelers, giving the old nautical word a zoological life.
3 / 4
THE CONNECTION: Here’s the connection. English adopted the insect sense. At the birth of wireless, Italian antenna also meant a pole, and Marconi applied it to the elevated apparatus connected to his radio equipment. The radio sense therefore grew from the same image of a projecting spar, while later metaphorical antennae detect moods or trends.
4 / 4
NOW YOU KNOW: “antenna”. Say it: /ænˈtɛn.ə/ Meaning: An electrical device that sends or receives radio or television signals. Try five words in the free daily game: lexifour.com. Follow for another word story.