Electronics

[Kalee20]

I'd say that 'Electronics' as distinct from 'Electrical engineering' arose before the thermionic valve, but not very much more. Manipulating electron flow, curving the paths etc, was being studied with cold-cathode CRT's in the late 1800's. Yes, before J J Thomson discovered the electron, and before it was so-named, although as pointed out, the little blighters were around even though we didn't know it.

Once the name was coined, the study of them naturally gave way to electronics.

Just think - if p-type semiconductors had been discovered first, we could have all been holic engineers!