'bibliography' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'bibliographia', where 'biblion' meant 'book' and 'graphein' meant 'to write.'

'bibliographia' passed into Latin and Medieval Latin as 'bibliographia', then into Middle French and finally Middle English as 'bibliographie'/'bibliography', becoming the modern English 'bibliography.'

Initially, it meant 'writing about books' or 'a description of books'; over time it narrowed in common use to mean primarily 'a list of works cited or relevant to a subject.'