The correct spelling of "newspaper clipping" is /ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpər ˈklɪpɪŋ/. The first syllable is pronounced with the vowel sound /uː/, the second syllable has the consonant cluster /z p/, and the third syllable has the short vowel sound /ɪ/. The final syllable ends with the sound /ŋ/. A newspaper clipping is a small piece of an article or photograph that has been cut out of a newspaper, usually for reference or keeping as a memento.
A newspaper clipping refers to a small section of a printed newspaper that has been cut or torn out for specific purposes, such as saving, sharing, or referencing. It represents a physical excerpt from a complete newspaper article, advertisement, or photograph. These clippings are generally selected because they contain relevant news, articles, opinions, pictures, or any other valuable content the reader wishes to keep or share.
Newspaper clippings have historically been widely used as a means of archiving and preserving important information, particularly before the digital age. People often clipped and saved newspaper articles that were of personal interest, related to their hobbies, or contained relevant information for future reference. These clippings were commonly stored in scrapbooks, files, or folders.
The process of clipping and saving newspaper articles has evolved with the advent of digital media. Today, newspaper clippings can be created digitally by taking a screenshot or saving an online article as a PDF. These digital clippings are often stored in electronic formats such as folders, cloud storage, or bookmarked web pages.
Newspaper clippings serve various purposes, including academic research, news analysis, historical documentation, or simple personal enjoyment. They can provide a snapshot of a specific moment in time, capturing events, facts, or opinions that may later become significant references for historical, cultural, or social understanding.
The word "newspaper" comes from the combination of the words "news" and "paper". "News" originated from the Latin word "nova" meaning "new things". The word "paper" stems from the Latin word "papyrus", which refers to the plant used in ancient times to make writing material.
On the other hand, the word "clipping" refers to a piece that has been cut or clipped off from a whole. Its etymology can be traced to the Old English word "clyppan", meaning "to cut", which evolved into Middle English as "clippen". Over time, "clipping" became commonly used to describe a small piece of something that has been cut out.
Therefore, the term "newspaper clipping" originated as a combination of these two words to describe a small cut-out piece from a newspaper.