silent-movie
UK[ˈsaɪlənt ˈmuːvi]US[ˈsaɪlənt ˈmuːvi]
n
A motion picture, especially one made in the early days of cinema, that has no synchronized recorded sound, often accompanied by live music and using intertitles to convey dialogue and narrative.
Morpheme Breakdown
silent
movie
silent
adjective
movie
noun
Etymology
The compound term 'silent movie' is a straightforward descriptive label from the early 20th century, created to distinguish a new technological format. The adjective 'silent' originates from the Latin verb silere, meaning 'to be quiet or still', a concept directly applied to the absence of recorded sound in these films. The noun 'movie' is an American English colloquialism derived from 'moving picture', capturing the essential illusion of motion created by rapid sequential photography. Thus, the term literally and logically denotes a 'moving picture that is quiet', defining an entire era of cinematic art before the advent of synchronized sound technology.
Analysis
Structure: silent (adjective) + movie (noun)
silent: From Latin silens, silent- (present participle of silere 'to be silent'), via Old French. Functions as an adjective modifying the noun.
movie: A shortening of 'moving picture'. 'Moving' is from the verb 'move', ultimately from Latin movēre 'to move'. Functions as the head noun.
Examples
Charlie Chaplin was one of the most iconic stars of the silent-movie era.
The film festival featured a restored silent-movie accompanied by a live orchestra.
Intertitles were essential for conveying dialogue in a silent-movie.