Word
etymology
Phoneticset·y·mol·o·gy
US/ˌɛtəˈmɑɫədʒi/
UK/ˌɛtɪmˈɒlədʒi/
Definitions
01the study of word origins
n. the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
n. the scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning and form across time.
“If you enjoy learning about history and language, you might find etymology fascinating.”
“Scholars of etymology often trace modern English terms back to their Proto-Indo-European roots to understand how sounds shifted over millennia.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the field of study.
Synonyms
02a word's history
n. an explanation of the origin of a specific word, often found in a dictionary.
n. a specific account or description of the origin and historical development of a particular lexical item.
“The dictionary entry includes a short etymology for the word 'sandwich'.”
“The etymology of the word 'algebra' reveals its origins in a ninth-century Arabic mathematical treatise.”
Academic
Usage
Used as a countable noun when referring to the history of one specific word.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The Polari app is fantabulosa, giving etymologies and explanations of the full Polari lexicon as far as records exist.” Etymology
From Middle English ethymologie, from Old French ethimologie, from Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek ἐτυμολογία (etumología), from ἔτυμον (étumon, “true sense”) and -λογία (-logía, “study or logic of”), from λόγος (lógos, “word; explanation”). Equivalent to etymon + -ology.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/etymology