'Telegraph' is Greek for 'far-writing' — coined 1792 by Chappe for his optical semaphore system.
A system for transmitting messages over long distances using electrical signals along wires, or more broadly, any apparatus or method for long-distance signaling; as a verb, to send a message by telegraph.
Coined in French as 'télégraphe' by Claude Chappe in 1792 for his optical semaphore signaling system. The word combines Greek 'tēle' (τῆλε, far off, at a distance) and 'gráphein' (γράφειν, to write). Thus 'telegraph' literally means 'far-writer' or 'distance-writing.' The term was later transferred to the electric
Claude Chappe originally wanted to call his invention the 'tachygraphe' (fast-writer), but a friend pointed out that name was already taken by a shorthand writing system. Chappe then settled on 'télégraphe' — a decision that spawned the entire 'tele-' prefix family in technology: telephone, television, telecast, telecommute.