The spelling of "gramophone records" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) phonetic transcription. The word "gramophone" is spelled /ˈɡræməfəʊn/ with the stress on the second syllable. The stress is indicated by the symbol ˈ placed before the stressed syllable. The word "record" is spelled /ˈrɛkɔːd/ with the stress on the first syllable. The pronunciation of the word can be broken down into individual sounds using the symbols provided by the IPA.
Gramophone records, commonly known as vinyl records, are physical analog sound storage mediums that were popularly used for playing and recording music from the late 19th century until the late 20th century. Consisting of a flat disc made of vinyl or shellac, they were widely used before the emergence of digital audio formats.
A gramophone record typically consists of a central hole that enables it to be played on a turntable, also known as a record player. The sound is encoded onto the surface of the record in the form of a grooved spiral, with the groove containing physical indentations or impressions that represent the sound waves captured during the recording process.
To play a gramophone record, a turntable is used, which rotates the record at a constant speed while a stylus or needle is placed on the record's surface. As the record spins and the stylus tracks the grooves, it captures the physical impressions and vibrations, which are then amplified and reproduced as sound through speakers or headphones.
Gramophone records revolutionized the music industry, as they allowed for the mass distribution of recorded music. Albums, singles, and compilations could be created and shared, leading to the rise of record labels and the development of popular music genres. Although they were surpassed by more convenient and durable formats such as CDs and digital audio files, gramophone records maintain a niche market today, prized for their unique sonic character and collectability.
The word "gramophone" is derived from two Greek words: "grámma", meaning "something written or drawn", and "phōnḗ", meaning "sound" or "voice". It was coined by Emile Berliner, a German-American inventor, in 1887, as he sought to differentiate his disk-based sound recording and playback device from Thomas Edison's cylinder-based phonograph.
The term "record" originates from the Latin word "recordari", which means "to remember". It was used to refer to various forms of written or recorded information, including writings on tablets, inscriptions on stones, and later, to written accounts or registers. Over time, the word "record" was adapted to describe sound recordings played on Emile Berliner's gramophone, which featured a flat disk-shaped medium.