diegetic
/ˌdaɪ.əˈdʒɛt.ɪk/
adjective
Origin
Ancient Greek
διήγησις (diēgēsis) — narration, narrative
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to the narrative structure of a story, particularly in film or literature, where elements (such as sound) exist within the world of the characters.
- Relating to diegesis, the style of storytelling in which the narrator speaks directly to the audience or describes the events of the plot.
Literal older meaning
pertaining to narration
Language path
Ancient Greek → English
Earliest form
diegetikos
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term is derived from Plato's distinction between mimesis (imitation/showing) and diegesis (narration/telling). In modern film studies, it distinguishes between sounds that the characters can hear (diegetic) and background music or narration that only the audience can hear (non-diegetic).
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
διήγησις
“a narrative or statement of facts”
- French (19th century)
diégétique
“pertaining to narrative”
Used in literary criticism.
- English (20th century)
diegetic
“narrative-internal (especially in film sound theory)”
Popularized by narratology and film studies.
Connections
Word parts
diēgēsis
root
narrative
-ic
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
French
diégétique
pertaining to narrative
Explore next
Related to diegetic
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.