choreo-

Choreo- is a combining form used like a prefix indicating the art of dance or movement. While used in the performing arts, especially dance, choreo- also appears in some medical and scientific terms, too.

Choreo- ultimately comes from the Greek chorós, “a dance, band of dancers and singers.” Also deriving from the Greek chorós are the words chorus and choir.

Probably the best known word that features the combining form choreo- is choreography, meaning “the art of composing ballets and other dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers.”

As we know, choreo- means “dance.” The –graphy part of the word is a combining form that refers to a process or form of drawing, writing, or the like, as well as an art or science concerned with such a process. It comes from the Greek for “writing.”

So, choreography literally translates to “dance writing,” and indeed, one of the earliest uses of choreography referred to the notation of dancing. Choreography is better understood, however, as the “art of dance.”

What are some words that use the combining form choreo-?

• choreoathetosis
• choreodrama
• choreographer
• choreophrasia

What are some other forms that choreo- may be commonly confused with?

• chondro-
• chorio-
• chori-
• chloro-
• cordo-

The combining form –logy is used to name sciences or bodies of knowledge, such as biology or theology. With this in mind, what is choreology?