OpenEtymology

camera

UKˈkæm(ə)rəUSˈkæmərə

Meaning

1n

a device for recording visual images in the form of photographs, film, or video signals.

2n

a judge's private room.

Usage

she pointed the camera at the stunning sunset.

the security camera captured the entire incident.

the lawyers were called into the judge's camera for a private discussion.

Etymology

the word 'camera' is a direct borrowing from latin, where 'camera' meant a vaulted room or chamber. this latin term itself was derived from the ancient greek 'kamára', which also signified a vault or an arched cover. the semantic shift from a room to a photographic device occurred in the 18th century, originating from the phrase 'camera obscura', meaning 'dark chamber', which was a darkened box or room with a small aperture used to project an image. thus, the modern device retains the name of the chamber in which the optical principle was first utilized.

Analysis

the entire word 'camera' is a simplex loanword from latin.

Camera Etymology, Origin & Meaning | wordDNA