talkie
Meaning
a film with a soundtrack, especially one of the early movies with sound.
Structure
Usage
the jazz singer is famously known as one of the first major talkies.
many silent film stars struggled to transition their careers when talkies became the norm.
my grandfather loves watching old black-and-white talkies from the 1930s.
Etymology
the word "talkie" is a colloquial formation from the early 20th century, specifically from the dawn of sound film. it is built directly upon the english verb "talk," which descends from middle english "talken," itself of germanic origin. the addition of the diminutive and informal suffix "-ie" (a variant of "-y") creates a casual, nickname-like term. this formation logically and transparently denotes a "talking picture," capturing the novel technology's core feature in a playful, accessible way that quickly entered common parlance during the cinematic revolution.
Analysis
talk (from middle english talken, of germanic origin, meaning to speak); ie (diminutive or informal noun-forming suffix, of english origin).