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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > STENOGRAPH

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pronounce STENOGRAPH:

STEN uh graff
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connect this word to others:

To stenograph something is to shorten it: to copy it down quickly, condense it into the smallest number of pencil strokes possible, to concentrate it, and in a figurative sense, to epi___ize it (give a summary of it, or be a perfect representation) or to enc__su_ate it (condense it, as if placing it in a little container).

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

If you've ever tried to write down what everyone says while they talk at a normal pace, you know how difficult that can be.

Stenography makes it possible: it's the art of writing in shorthand, using quick strokes and squiggles, like the ones in the image below. 

(Source)

Stenography can also be done on a machine, sometimes called a stenograph machine, a stenotype machine, or just a stenograph. It has fewer keys than an alphanumeric regular keyboard, with each key representing a stroke like you see above.

(Source)

Stenography itself is extremely old, dating back to ancient Greece, but the word "stenography" has only been around for a few centuries. It came into English through French, and it has Greek bits that literally mean "narrow writing" or "narrow recording." 

If you stenograph something literally, such as a speech or a conversation, you write it down extremely quickly, using stenography.

If you stenograph something figuratively, you create a very quick record or representation of it.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, usually the transitive kind, as in "She stenographed the conversation."

Sometimes the intransitive kind, as in "He knows how to stenograph."

It's also an adjective, as in "stenograph keyboard" and "stenograph machine."

It's also a noun, meaning "a stenograph machine," as in "He recorded the conversation on the stenograph."

Other forms: 

The art or practice of stenographing is "stenography," and the people who do it are "stenographers."

how to use it:

"Stenograph" still sees plenty of literal use these days, since stenography is still a valuable way to create a realtime transcript of what's being said, in courtrooms, for example.

That may change as AI gets better. But even if literal stenography fades entirely from modern life, that'll just make the abstract verb "stenograph" even more quirky, old-timey, and oddly specific. You might pick it instead of more familiar terms like "scribble down," "abbreviate," or "condense" when you want to startle your reader with a quaint reference to old technology. (I think that's what's happening in Philip Matthews's poem, quoted below.)

You could talk about people stenographing words, phrases, ideas, confessions, conversations and so on.

examples:

"Your position... renders your authority great on the subject of political news; you never open your mouth but the stockbrokers immediately stenograph your words."
 — Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo, 1888

"We will be forthright in our character analysis.
We will stenograph on bright, bright branches."
— Philip Matthews, "The Morning Star," 2020

has this page helped you understand "stenograph"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "stenograph" without saying "abbreviate" or "record."

try it out:

Christopher Hitchens has complained that a certain superstar of journalism, Bob Woodward, is not really a journalist at all, but a mere stenographer.

Woodward's books, Hitchens says, are shallow, lacking in analysis, "written by his sources." They "[take] the ideology of the powers that be and [pump] it straight through the recycling system that is the daily press."

Talk about what Hitchens means. What's the difference between a true journalist and a mere stenographer? Does this difference matter to you personally, or to society? Why or why not?




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Stop, Drop, & Anagram!"

I’ll give you an 8-letter word, along with a quote with a blank in it. Your job is to drop a letter from the word, then reassemble it into the 7-letter word that fits meaningfully into the blank. You'll find the answer at the bottom of the issue. Enjoy!

Try this one today:

EMPHASIS.

"The typical gallery scene is too egotistical and creepy for me... Art is treated like a sacred object. Openings are like weird religious services where the artist is a _______. Ew. No, you're not."
— Adam Wallacavage, as quoted by John Strausbaugh, New York Times, 3 March 2010

review this word:

1. One figurative opposite of STENOGRAPHED is

A. ACCEPTED.
B. EXPOUNDED.
C. COLORIZED.

2. Knowing the meaning or etymology of "stenography," we can figure out that "stenosis" is the _____ of a passage within the body.

A. creation
B. narrowing
C. unblocking




Answers to the review questions:
1. B
2. B

Answer to the game question:

EMPHASIS becomes MESSIAH:

"The typical gallery scene is too egotistical and creepy for me... Art is treated like a sacred object. Openings are like weird religious services where the artist is a messiah. Ew. No, you're not."
— Adam Wallacavage, as quoted by John Strausbaugh, New York Times, 3 March 2010


a final word:


I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.


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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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