-graphy
Also ‑graph, ‑graphic, ‑graphical, and ‑grapher.
Writing; the production of images; descriptive sciences or studies.
Greek graphein, to write.
The set of words in ‑graphy is extremely varied. Terms relate to writing, to the transmission of messages or information over a distance, the production of images of various kinds, a descriptive science or study, or a list. For examples, see the list below.
It is common for these terms to have linked words ending in ‑graph, often for the result of the process (as photography produces a photograph), but sometimes for an instrument involved in a process (seismograph, telegraph); the names of records produced in such cases often end in ‑gram.
Adjectives may be formed from words in ‑graphy or ‑graph either in ‑graphic (choreographic, topographic) or ‑graphical (geographical, stratigraphical). In many cases both forms exist. The name of a person engaged in the activity or discipline ends in ‑grapher (lexicographer, stenographer). See also grapho‑, ‑al1, and ‑y3.
Examples of words in -graphy
All word origins are from Greek unless otherwise stated.
Relating directly to writing or the transmission of messages:
biography
an account of a person's life
bios, life
cryptography
the art of preparing or reading codes or ciphers
kruptos, hidden
lexicography
the practice of compiling dictionaries
lexis, word
orthography
spelling, especially correct spelling
orthos, straight
stenography
writing and transcribing shorthand
stenos, narrow
telegraphy
the science of transmitting information over a distance
tēle‑, far off
The production of images, graphs, or diagrams:
cartography
the science of drawing maps
khartēs, papyrus leaf
cinematography
the art of making motion pictures
French cinématographic, from Greek kinēma, movement, from kinein, to move
photography
the taking of photographs
phōs, light
pornography
writing and images designed to stimulate sexual excitement
pornographos, writing about prostitutes
radiography
the production of images by X-rays, gamma rays, etc.
Latin radius, a ray
tomography
a technique for producing a cross-section of the human body X-rays or ultrasound
tomos, slice or section
xerography
a dry copying process
xēros, dry
A descriptive science or study:
choreography
the art of designing steps in ballet or another staged dance, or the written steps for such movements
khoros, chorus
cosmography
the science of the universe
kosmos, order, world
demography
the study of statistics charting the changing structure of human populations
dēmos, the people
ethnography
the study of different peoples
ethnos nation
geography
the science of the physical features of the earth and their relation to human populations
gē, earth
oceanography
the science of the sea
from ocean
petrography
the study of rocks
petros, stone
A descriptive list of titles, authors or performers:
bibliography
books
biblion, book
discography
musical recordings
English disc, in the sense of a gramophone record
filmography
films
English film
webliography
a listing of pages on the World Wide Web
English web
Copyright © Michael Quinion 2008–. All rights reserved. Your comments are very welcome.