# Another word for...



## Lunaairis (Oct 21, 2015)

My current work is a 1950s-ish fantasy world and I have the problem of figuring out *what do I call films?* I could just use the word film, but you see I have called photo's pictographs as it has a more archaic sound to it. I am wondering if maybe there is a word for movies/films that I don't know of that would fit my world more. Any ideas?


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## Ireth (Oct 21, 2015)

The first thing that came to my mind is "motion picture".


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## Lunaairis (Oct 21, 2015)

Yeah I was thinking about that too but it doesn't feel quite right.


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## X Equestris (Oct 21, 2015)

Where's it set?  That'll definitely be an influence on the term used.


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## Gospodin (Oct 21, 2015)

You could maintain a bit linguistic consistency and call it a _cinemÃ¡tograph_, though, I won't pretend that's not a mouthful.


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## CupofJoe (Oct 22, 2015)

Kinos, Cinas, Flickers, Shadows, Smokies were all colloquial terms for motion pictures in the 30s-50s.
I've even here the name "Clatters" used but that was by a projectionist.


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## Gospodin (Oct 22, 2015)

CupofJoe said:


> *Kinos*, Cinas, Flickers, Shadows, Smokies were all colloquial terms for motion pictures in the 30s-50s.
> I've even here the name "Clatters" used but that was by a projectionist.



Kino (кино) is still the common word in Russian for films.


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## Russ (Oct 22, 2015)

Kino is often used in Austria as well.


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## Gryphos (Oct 22, 2015)

I'm wondering why, if this is a 1950s-esque setting, you're feeling the need to make your terms more 'archaic'. Personally I would just say 'films'.


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## FifthView (Oct 22, 2015)

Similar to Gryphos, I've wondered why they _need_ to sound archaic.  There are names earlier in the history of film for movies, like "talkies" or "photoplay" etc.  But after searching for  actual film criticism, quotes from directors, news stories for the time period, it seems almost everyone used the terms "movie" or "film" by that time already.

Edit:  Depending on how much of your world is fantastical, you could always create your own term.  Maybe look in the thesaurus for any words for pictures, film + motion or moving + writing/drawing, and mix-and-match until you find something you like.


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## thedarknessrising (Oct 26, 2015)

Just go with "Talkies". That's the oldest word for "movie" that I can think of, next to "Motion Picture."


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## Lunaairis (Oct 26, 2015)

Thanks guys. I was away for a week and wasn't able to view this thread. But thanks for all the input. I'll awnser some of your questions individually.


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## Lunaairis (Oct 26, 2015)

CupofJoe said:


> Kinos, Cinas, Flickers, Shadows, Smokies were all colloquial terms for motion pictures in the 30s-50s.
> I've even here the name "Clatters" used but that was by a projectionist.




Thanks for the list this was exactly what ibwas wondering. Common terms people used at the time. Wither it be the people making it or common people in general.

Huh. I wonder if clatters was used at the same time that sound was being introduced to theaters. Similar to why sound films were called talkies.


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## CupofJoe (Oct 26, 2015)

Lunaairis said:


> Thanks for the list this was exactly what ibwas wondering. Common terms people used at the time. Wither it be the people making it or common people in general.
> 
> Huh. I wonder if clatters was used at the same time that sound was being introduced to theaters. Similar to why sound films were called talkies.



I think Clatters is to do with the sound of the mechanical shutter gate that spins to show each frame in turn. I've only been near small projectors running and they were loud enough. I would love/hate to be in a small room with a 35mm or a 70mm projector....


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## Lunaairis (Oct 26, 2015)

I was trying to stay to older sounding words for the technology because they world this takes place in, is just going through its industrial revolution so to speak.  They have figured out how to use magic and technology together thanks to finding out how to write magic down. This has caused a boom in cultures around the world because magic can do a lot of what engineering can do, only faster and in less room. 

Certain words I've based their dialect on like:

Instead of automobiles being a term. They have always been called car's in this world as it comes from carriage. 

sworn in police officers are called knights.

photo's are called picto's (pictograph).


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## FifthView (Oct 26, 2015)

Lunaairis said:


> photo's are called picto's (pictograph).



Then something like "pictostream" for movies?  Hah, I don't know.  But in our world "picture" was paired with "motion" for "motion picture," and "movies" are from the idea of "moving pictures", and earlier "photo" was paired with "play" for "photoplay" (photo's playing?  Or play as in live theater but with photos instead?)


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## Lunaairis (Oct 26, 2015)

yeah. I was just wondering if there were any words I over looked before deciding once and for all on motion pictures.


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## Bruce McKnight (Oct 26, 2015)

Cinemagram
Cinemagraph
Reels
Reelies
Pictoreel
Moving Pictograph
Pictogram
Picture Show
Sceener
Screenies
Recorder

+1 for Talkies


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