tele-comb. form

Etymology: < ancient Greek τηλε-, combining form (in e.g. τηλεσκόπος far-seeing: see telescope n.) of τῆλε afar, far off < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek τέλος end (see telos n.). Compare post-classical Latin tele- (formations in which are found from the early 17th cent., earliest in telescopium telescope n.), French télé- (formations in which are found from the late 17th cent., apparently earliest in †telesgraphique telegraphic adj., and are attested more frequently from the late 18th cent., e.g. télégraphe telegraph n.), German tele- (formations in which are found from the second half of the 19th cent.).Attested earliest in the early 17th cent. in telescope n., a borrowing from Italian and Latin (and hence in telescopic adj., telescopy n.), and subsequently at the end of the 18th cent. in telegraph n., an adaptation from French. Formations within English are found from the first half of the 19th cent., e.g. telephonic adj., and become frequent in the second half of the 19th cent. Formations in senses 2 and 3 are influenced semantically by television n. and telephone n. respectively. In early use (until the end of the 19th cent.) chiefly combining with elements of Latin and Greek origin; subsequently combining with elements of various origins, as e.g. English (earliest in teleflash vb.; such formations are especially common in senses 2 and 3).