The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #91862   Message #1749996
Posted By: IanC
30-May-06 - 09:18 AM
Thread Name: The meaning of 'acoustic'
Subject: RE: The meaning of 'acoustic'
Well ... to be fair, Acoustic originally just means you can hear it.

acoustic
1605, from Fr. acoustique, from Gk. akoustikos "pertaining to hearing," from akoustos "heard, audible," from akouein "to hear," from copulative prefix a- + koein "to mark, perceive, hear," from PIE base *(s)keu- "to notice, observe" (see caveat). Acoustics is attested from 1683. Acoustic guitars (as opposed to electric) first attested 1966.

Dictionary of Etymology