Viewer Was Invented for Television
A viewer watches something. The word for a television audience member is a twentieth-century coinage, filling a gap listener had already filled for radio.
A viewer is someone who watches, especially television. The word had to be found in a hurry: radio already had *listeners*, and when television arrived broadcasters needed a matching word for people who watched. *Viewer* was in use by the 1930s and became standard within a decade. English has since needed *user* for the internet age, and the pattern repeats.
- A television watcher. *Millions of viewers.*
- Someone inspecting. *Viewers of the property.*
- A device for viewing. *A slide viewer.*
- Viewing figures — audience numbers. *Strong viewing figures.*
- View — an opinion, or a sight. *A fine view.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | view | View the results. |
| Noun | view | A clear view. |
| Agent | viewer | A regular viewer. |
| Noun | viewing | Late-night viewing. |
| Adjective | viewable | Viewable online. |
- Viewers complained in large numbers.Broadcasting.
- The house had three viewers on Saturday.British property.
- In my view, that is wrong.Opinion.
Words for audiences
- Reader — the oldest of them
- Listener — arrived with radio in the 1920s
- Viewer — arrived with television in the 1930s
- User — the internet's word, and a much-criticised one
- Each medium has needed a new word for the person at the other end
From *view*, Anglo-French *vewe*, from Old French *veoir*, from Latin *videre*, to see. The television sense dates from the 1930s.
Why do we say viewer rather than watcher?
Viewer was adopted by broadcasters in the 1930s and became the industry standard. Watcher survives in other contexts, like birdwatcher.
Are view and video related?
Yes, through Latin videre, to see. Video is simply the Latin for I see.