How Did the Radio Get its Name, What Does Radio Mean in Latin, and Where Did the Radio Come From?

Photo of author

Karen Hill

The device we call a radio took its name from radio telegraphy.

It was commonly referred to as “wireless” up until World War II when the military preference for radio caused that name to catch on to describe the revolutionary receptacle of sound.

The word radio is derived from radius, Latin for “spoke of a wheel” or “ray of light,” because transmitted sounds travel out in all directions from a center hub like the spokes of a wheel.

Related Posts

  1. What Are Radio Waves and What Do Radio Waves Have To Do With Radios and Astronomy?
  2. What Is a Radio Telescope and How Do Radio Telescopes Help Astronomers Detect Objects In the Universe?
  3. Where does the expression “Dog Latin” come from and What does Dog Latin mean?
  4. What Is the Difference Between Latin America and South America and How Many People Live In Latin America?
  5. What Do the Words “Roger” and “Wilco” Mean in Radio Communications and How Did They Originate?
  6. Why Do American Broadcasting Radio Stations Use the Call Letters K and W and What Do They Mean?