mobile-phone
Meaning
A portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving around a wide geographic area.
Structure
Usage
She left her mobile-phone on the kitchen counter.
The development of the mobile-phone revolutionized personal communication.
Please ensure your mobile-phone is switched off during the flight.
Etymology
The term 'mobile-phone' is a modern compound that logically combines two classical roots to describe its function. The element 'mobile', from the Latin verb movere (to move), entered English via French to signify something capable of movement or being moved easily. The element 'phone' derives from the ancient Greek phōnē, meaning 'sound' or 'voice', a root widely used in telecommunication terminology (e.g., telephone, microphone). The compound, emerging in the late 20th century, directly and transparently denotes a 'movable sound device' or a telephone that is not fixed to one location, contrasting with the traditional landline. Its formation follows a straightforward descriptive pattern in English, where an adjective modifies a noun to specify a portable variant of an existing technology.
Analysis
- mobile: From Latin mobilis (movable), from movere (to move). An adjective used attributively to describe the device's key characteristic. - phone: From Greek phōnē (sound, voice). A combining form indicating an instrument for transmitting or receiving sound.