An optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, using an arrangement of lenses or curved mirrors; to slide or compress into itself in overlapping sections.
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Greek17th centurywell-attested
Coined in 1611 by theGreek mathematician Giovanni Demisiani for Galileo's instrument, from Greek 'tēle-' (far, at a distance) + 'skopeîn' (to look at, to watch, to observe). The Greek prefix 'tēle-' derives from 'tēle' (far off, afar), from PIE *kwel- (far, distant). The verb 'skopeîn' derives from PIE *speḱ- (to observe, to look). The wordwas a modern coinage in Neo-Greek, not attested in ancient Greek — Demisiani
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Galileo did notname his invention. He called it 'occhiale' (eyeglass) or 'perspicillum' (Latin for looking-glass). Theword 'telescope' was coined by Giovanni Demisiani, a Greek mathematician, at a banquet held by the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome in 1611 to honor Galileo. Demisiani constructed it from Greek
, 1792), 'telephone' (far-voice, 1876), 'television' (far-seeing, 1907). The PIE root *speḱ- also produced Latin 'specere' (to look — whence 'spectacle,' 'specimen,' 'species,' 'aspect,' 'inspect'), and 'skeptic' (from Greek 'skeptikós,' one who looks carefully, one who examines). To look through a telescope is, etymologically, to observe the far. Key roots: tēle- (Greek: "far, at a distance"), skopeîn (Greek: "to look at, observe, examine"), *speḱ- (Proto-Indo-European: "to observe, to look").