-graphy Also -graph, -graphic, -graphical, and -grapher.
Writing; the production of images; descriptive sciences or studies.
[Greek graphein, to write.]
The set of words in -graphy is extremely varied. Terms relate to writing, to the transmission of messages or information over a distance, the production of images of various kinds, a descriptive science or study, or a list. For examples, see the list below.
It is common for these terms to have linked words ending in -graph, often for the result of the process (as photography produces a photograph), but sometimes for an instrument involved in a process (seismograph, telegraph); the names of records produced in such cases often end in -gram.
Adjectives may be formed from words in -graphy or -graph either in -graphic (choreographic, topographic) or -graphical (geographical, stratigraphical). In many cases both forms exist. The name of a person engaged in the activity or discipline ends in -grapher (lexicographer, stenographer). See also grapho-, -al1, and -y3.
Examples of words in -graphy
All word origins are from Greek unless otherwise stated.
Relating directly to writing or the transmission of messages:
| biography | an account of a person's life | bios, life |
| cryptography | the art of preparing or reading codes or ciphers | kruptos, hidden |
| lexicography | the practice of compiling dictionaries | lexis, word |
| orthography | spelling, especially correct spelling | orthos, straight |
| stenography | writing and transcribing shorthand | stenos, narrow |
| telegraphy | the science of transmitting information over a distance | tēle-, far off |
The production of images, graphs, or diagrams:
| cartography | the science of drawing maps | khartēs, papyrus leaf |
| cinematography | the art of making motion pictures | French cinématographic, from Greek kinēma, movement, from kinein, to move |
| photography | the taking of photographs | phōs, light |
| pornography | writing and images designed to stimulate sexual excitement | pornographos, writing about prostitutes |
| radiography | the production of images by X-rays, gamma rays, etc. | Latin radius, a ray |
| tomography | a technique for producing a cross-section of the human body X-rays or ultrasound | tomos, slice or section |
| xerography | a dry copying process | xēros, dry |
A descriptive science or study:
| choreography | the art of designing steps in ballet or another staged dance, or the written steps for such movements | khoros, chorus |
| cosmography | the science of the universe | kosmos, order, world |
| demography | the study of statistics charting the changing structure of human populations | dēmos, the people |
| ethnography | the study of different peoples | ethnos nation |
| geography | the science of the physical features of the earth and their relation to human populations | gē, earth |
| oceanography | the science of the sea | from ocean |
| petrography | the study of rocks | petros, stone |
A descriptive list of titles, authors or performers:
| bibliography | books | biblion, book |
| discography | musical recordings | English disc, in the sense of a gramophone record |
| filmography | films | English film |
| webliography | a listing of pages on the World Wide Web | English web |
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