film definition

English film definition

Etymology

From Middle English filme, from Old English filmen (“film, membrane, thin skin, foreskin”), from Proto-Germanic *filminją (“thin skin, membrane”) (compare Proto-Germanic *felma- (“skin, hide”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pél-mo- (“membrane”), from *pel- (“to cover, skin”). Cognate with Old Frisian filmene (“thin skin, human skin”), Dutch vel (“sheet, skin”), German Fell (“skin, hide, fur”), Swedish fjäll (“fur blanket, cloth, scale”), Norwegian fille (“rag, cloth”), Lithuanian plėvē (“membrane, scab”), Russian плева́ (plevá, “membrane”), Ancient Greek πέλμα (pélma, “sole of the foot”). More at fell. Sense of a thin coat of something is 1577, extended by 1845 to the coating of chemical gel on photographic plates. By 1895 this also meant the coating plus the paper or celluloid.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɪlm/, [fɪɫm]

  • Audio (RP)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɪlm
• (North East England, Ireland) IPA^(key): [ˈfɪlm̩], [ˈfɪləm]

Noun

film (countable and uncountable, plural films)

1. A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.

   a clear plastic film for wrapping food

   • 1712 (date written)​, Alexander Pope, “Messiah. A Sacred Eclogue, in Imitation of Virgil’s Pollio.”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton, H. Lintot, J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, and S. Draper, published 1751, OCLC 1006960022, lines 39–40, page 40:

     He from thick films ſhall purge the viſual ray, / And on the ſightleſs eye-ball pour the day: […]

2. (photography) A medium used to capture images in a camera.
3. A movie.
4. (film, uncountable) Cinema; movies as a group.
   • 2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions‎^[1], volume 5, number 1, MDPI, DOI:10.3390/rel5010219, pages 219-257:

     Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.

5. A slender thread, such as that of a cobweb.
   • c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene iv]:

     Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film.

Synonyms

• (motion picture): movie

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Verb

film (third-person singular simple present films, present participle filming, simple past and past participle filmed)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To record (activity, or a motion picture) on photographic film.

   A Hollywood studio was filming on location in NYC.

   I tried to film the UFO as it passed overhead.

   • 2021 June 30, Tim Dunn, “How we made... Secrets of the London Underground”, in RAIL, number 934, pages 49-50:

     It was truly one of the most horrific filming experiences of my career there, contrasting neatly with some of the best of my career - filming in various off-limits storerooms at LTM's Acton Depot.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To visually record (activity, or a motion picture) in general, with or without sound.
3. (transitive) To cover or become covered with a thin skin or pellicle.
   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene iv], line 146:

     It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.

   • 2012, Nathan Archer, Valhalla:

     Her legs folded under her, and her eyes filmed over.

Translations

Anagrams

• MILF, milf

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Afrikaans film definition

Etymology

From Dutch film, from English film, or borrowed from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fəlm/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

film (plural films)

1. film

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Albanian film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French film, from English film.

Noun

film m (indefinite plural filma, definite singular filmi, definite plural filmat)

1. film
2. movie

Declension

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Azerbaijani film definition

Other scripts

Cyrillic		филм
Perso-Arabic		فیلم‎

Etymology

Ultimately from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [film]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

film (definite accusative filmi, plural filmlər)

1. film, movie

   sənədli film ― documentary film

   bədii film ― feature film

   film çəkmək ― to shoot a movie

   film çəkilişi ― film set, movie-making

   film nümayişi ― film screening

   Synonym: kino

Declension

Declension of film
	singular	plural
nominative	film	filmlər
definite accusative	filmi	filmləri
dative	filmə	filmlərə
locative	filmdə	filmlərdə
ablative	filmdən	filmlərdən
definite genitive	filmin	filmlərin

Possessive forms of film
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmim	filmlərim
sənin (“your”)	filmin	filmlərin
onun (“his/her/its”)	filmi	filmləri
bizim (“our”)	filmimiz	filmlərimiz
sizin (“your”)	filminiz	filmləriniz
onların (“their”)	filmi or filmləri	filmləri
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmimi	filmlərimi
sənin (“your”)	filmini	filmlərini
onun (“his/her/its”)	filmini	filmlərini
bizim (“our”)	filmimizi	filmlərimizi
sizin (“your”)	filminizi	filmlərinizi
onların (“their”)	filmini or filmlərini	filmlərini
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmimə	filmlərimə
sənin (“your”)	filminə	filmlərinə
onun (“his/her/its”)	filminə	filmlərinə
bizim (“our”)	filmimizə	filmlərimizə
sizin (“your”)	filminizə	filmlərinizə
onların (“their”)	filminə or filmlərinə	filmlərinə
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmimdə	filmlərimdə
sənin (“your”)	filmində	filmlərində
onun (“his/her/its”)	filmində	filmlərində
bizim (“our”)	filmimizdə	filmlərimizdə
sizin (“your”)	filminizdə	filmlərinizdə
onların (“their”)	filmində or filmlərində	filmlərində
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmimdən	filmlərimdən
sənin (“your”)	filmindən	filmlərindən
onun (“his/her/its”)	filmindən	filmlərindən
bizim (“our”)	filmimizdən	filmlərimizdən
sizin (“your”)	filminizdən	filmlərinizdən
onların (“their”)	filmindən or filmlərindən	filmlərindən
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	filmimin	filmlərimin
sənin (“your”)	filminin	filmlərinin
onun (“his/her/its”)	filminin	filmlərinin
bizim (“our”)	filmimizin	filmlərimizin
sizin (“your”)	filminizin	filmlərinizin
onların (“their”)	filminin or filmlərinin	filmlərinin

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Catalan film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈfilm/

Noun

film m (plural films)

1. film (a movie)

   Synonym: pel·lícula

Related terms

• filmar
• fílmic

Further reading

• “film” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

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Crimean Tatar film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Noun

film

1. film (clarification of this definition is needed)

Declension

References

• Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[2], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

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Czech film definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfɪlm]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

film m inan

1. (photography) film
2. movie, film, motion picture

Declension

Derived terms

• filmovat
• filmař

Further reading

• film in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• film in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

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Danish film definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /film/, [ˈfilm]
• Rhymes: -ilm

Noun

film c (singular definite filmen, plural indefinite film)

1. a movie, a film, motion picture
2. film; a thin layer
3. plural indefinite of film

Inflection

Derived terms

• filme
  • filmning
• filmfotograf
• filmhold
• filmproduktion
• filmskole

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Dutch film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɪlm/, /ˈfɪləm/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: film
• Rhymes: -ɪlm, -ɪləm

Noun

film m (plural films, diminutive filmpje n)

1. A film, thin layer or membrane; especially the physical medium film.
2. A film production, movie
3. (uncountable) The movie sector, cinema.

Derived terms

• filmen
• filmproducent
• filmregisseur
• kostuumfilm
• speelfilm
• tekenfilm
• verfilmen

Descendants

• → Caribbean Hindustani: felam
• → Caribbean Javanese: film

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Estonian film definition

Etymology

German Film.

Noun

film (genitive filmi, partitive filmi)

1. film (motion picture)
2. photographic film

Declension

Derived terms

• filmindus
• filmilint
• värvifilm

Further reading

• film in Sõnaveeb

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French film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /film/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

film m (plural films)

1. movie, film

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Albanian: film
• → Romanian: film
• → Turkish: film
• → Vietnamese: phim

Further reading

• “film”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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German film definition

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

film

1. singular imperative of filmen

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Hungarian film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfilm]

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: film
• Rhymes: -ilm

Noun

film (plural filmek)

1. (photography) film (a medium used to capture images in a camera)
2. film, movie, motion picture, picture (a recorded sequence of images displayed on a screen at a rate sufficiently fast to create the appearance of motion)
3. film, cinematic art, cinema, cinematography (the art of making films and movies)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	film	filmek
accusative	filmet	filmeket
dative	filmnek	filmeknek
instrumental	filmmel	filmekkel
causal-final	filmért	filmekért
translative	filmmé	filmekké
terminative	filmig	filmekig
essive-formal	filmként	filmekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	filmben	filmekben
superessive	filmen	filmeken
adessive	filmnél	filmeknél
illative	filmbe	filmekbe
sublative	filmre	filmekre
allative	filmhez	filmekhez
elative	filmből	filmekből
delative	filmről	filmekről
ablative	filmtől	filmektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	filmé	filmeké
non-attributive possessive - plural	filméi	filmekéi

Possessive forms of film
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	filmem	filmjeim
2nd person sing.	filmed	filmjeid
3rd person sing.	filmje	filmjei
1st person plural	filmünk	filmjeink
2nd person plural	filmetek	filmjeitek
3rd person plural	filmjük	filmjeik

Derived terms

References

Further reading

• film in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (’The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

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Indonesian film definition

Etymology

From earlier pilem, from Dutch film, from English film.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [ˈfɪlm]
• (Betawi) IPA^(key): /ˈfɪl(ə)m/, /ˈpeləm/

Noun

film (first-person possessive filmku, second-person possessive filmmu, third-person possessive filmnya)

1. film,
   1. a thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.
   2. (photography) a medium used to capture images in a camera.
   3. a movie, a motion picture, a recorded sequence of images displayed on a screen at a rate sufficiently fast to create the appearance of motion.

Alternative forms

• filem (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Affixed terms

Further reading

• “film” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

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Italian film definition

Etymology

From English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfilm/
• Rhymes: -ilm
• Hyphenation: fìlm

Noun

film m (invariable)

1. film, movie

   Synonym: pellicola

   Guardi dei film? ― Do you watch movies?

Derived terms

See also

• cinema

Further reading

• film in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

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Norman film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Noun

film m (plural films)

1. (Jersey) movie, film

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Norwegian Bokmål film definition

Noun

film m (definite singular filmen, indefinite plural filmer, definite plural filmene)

1. a film (for taking photographs in a camera)
2. a film (thin material, layer or coating)
3. a film, movie (cinematic production)

Derived terms

Related terms

• filme

Verb

film

1. imperative of filme

References

• “film” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk film definition

Noun

film m (definite singular filmen, indefinite plural filmar, definite plural filmane)

1. a film (for taking photographs in a camera)
2. a film (thin material, layer or coating)
3. a film, movie (cinematic production)

Derived terms

References

• “film” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Polish film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /film/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ilm
• Syllabification: film

Noun

film m inan (diminutive filmik)

1. film, movie, motion picture
2. film (medium used to capture images in a camera)

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• film in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• film in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Portuguese film definition

Noun

film m (plural filmes)

1. Superseded spelling of filme.

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Romanian film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French film or German Film, from English film.

Noun

film n (plural filme)

1. movie, film

Declension

References

• Romanian vocabulary. In: Haspelmath, M. & Tadmor, U. (eds.) World Loanword Database. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

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Scottish Gaelic film definition

Etymology

From English film, from Middle English filme, from Old English filmen (“film, membrane, thin skin, foreskin”), from Proto-Germanic *filminją (“thin skin, membrane”), from Proto-Indo-European *pél-mo- (“membrane”), from *pel- (“to cover, skin”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfilim/

Noun

film m (genitive singular film, plural filmichean)

1. film, movie

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
film	fhilm
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

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Serbo-Croatian film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from English film.

Noun

fȉlm m (Cyrillic spelling фи̏лм)

1. film (photography)
2. film (motion picture)

Declension

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Slovak film definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfiɫm/

Noun

film m (genitive singular filmu, nominative plural filmy, genitive plural filmov, declension pattern of dub)

1. photographic film
2. movie, motion picture

Declension

Derived terms

• filmár
• filmovať
• filmový
• filmovo
• filmík

Further reading

• film in Slovak dictionaries at slovnik.juls.savba.sk

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Spanish film definition

Etymology

From English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfilm/, [ˈfilm]

Noun

film m (plural films)

1. Alternative spelling of filme (film, motion picture)

Further reading

• “film”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

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Swedish film definition

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Noun

film c

1. film; a thin layer
2. film; medium used to capture images in a camera
3. a movie

Declension

Declension of film
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	film	filmen	filmer	filmerna
Genitive	films	filmens	filmers	filmernas

Related terms

References

• film in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

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Turkish film definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French film, from English film.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /film/
• IPA^(key): /filim/ (colloquial)

Noun

film (definite accusative filmi, plural filmler)

1. a medium used to capture images in a camera
2. a movie
3. a thin layer

Derived terms

1. " streç film" — Light, transparent plastic film used as a wrapping for food etc. —"clingfilm", Saran Wrap (US)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	film
Definite accusative	filmi
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	film	filmler
Definite accusative	filmi	filmleri
Dative	filme	filmlere
Locative	filmde	filmlerde
Ablative	filmden	filmlerden
Genitive	filmin	filmlerin
Possessive forms Nominative Singular Plural 1st singular filmim filmlerim 2nd singular filmin filmlerin 3rd singular filmi filmleri 1st plural filmimiz filmlerimiz 2nd plural filminiz filmleriniz 3rd plural filmleri filmleri Definite accusative Singular Plural 1st singular filmimi filmlerimi 2nd singular filmini filmlerini 3rd singular filmini filmlerini 1st plural filmimizi filmlerimizi 2nd plural filminizi filmlerinizi 3rd plural filmlerini filmlerini Dative Singular Plural 1st singular filmime filmlerime 2nd singular filmine filmlerine 3rd singular filmine filmlerine 1st plural filmimize filmlerimize 2nd plural filminize filmlerinize 3rd plural filmlerine filmlerine Locative Singular Plural 1st singular filmimde filmlerimde 2nd singular filminde filmlerinde 3rd singular filminde filmlerinde 1st plural filmimizde filmlerimizde 2nd plural filminizde filmlerinizde 3rd plural filmlerinde filmlerinde Ablative Singular Plural 1st singular filmimden filmlerimden 2nd singular filminden filmlerinden 3rd singular filminden filmlerinden 1st plural filmimizden filmlerimizden 2nd plural filminizden filmlerinizden 3rd plural filmlerinden filmlerinden Genitive Singular Plural 1st singular filmimin filmlerimin 2nd singular filminin filmlerinin 3rd singular filminin filmlerinin 1st plural filmimizin filmlerimizin 2nd plural filminizin filmlerinizin 3rd plural filmlerinin filmlerinin

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Uzbek film definition

Etymology

From Russian фильм (filʹm), from English film.

Noun

film (plural filmlar)

1. film, movie, motion picture

   Synonyms: kino, kinofilm, kartina

Declension

Related terms

• filmoskop
• filmoteka