*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of lo-fi

Syllabic abbreviation of low fidelity.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
adj

Having an old-fashioned quality, as if recorded with primitive equipment. · Having a rough quality, not musically smooth and refined. · Recorded at home with makeshift tools.

noun

A subgenre of hip-hop that includes traditional jazz elements and drum machine samples. · A subgenre of rock music characterized by minimal production, giving a raw and unsophisticated sound.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Syllabic abbreviation of low fidelity.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeydʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "syllabic abbreviation",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "low fidelity"
      },
      "expansion": "Syllabic abbreviation of low fidelity"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "low fidelity",
      "low fidelity#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Having an old-fashioned quality, as if recorded with primitive equipment.",
        "Having a rough quality, not musically smooth and refined.",
        "Recorded at home with makeshift tools."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "0c3dc0f80dc0ef2aa2f260de4b84ba75c853336119f9c0ae5ca676fb99369536",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8083b97ebfcdc3a47797a14031bc6dc293d53839a78d44e95f64f1eaa5c25fad",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1135361
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A subgenre of hip-hop that includes traditional jazz elements and drum machine samples.",
        "A subgenre of rock music characterized by minimal production, giving a raw and unsophisticated sound."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "50af0934cd3027614756fe7c6e8476613a52bec831ab89129dc03f12ad10446d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bf3ed48c80c70a2c8019cfc10b7f9c323539ba24ce74957382c1fc3c617c02c9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1135362
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for lo-fi →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bG8tZmk