ETYMOLOGY

etymology

(noun) the study of the sources and development of words

etymology

(noun) a history of a word

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

etymology (plural etymologies)

(uncountable) The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.

(countable) The origin and historical development of a word; the derivation.

(countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with entomology (“the study of insects”) or etiology (“the study of causes or origins”).

Hyponyms

• onomastics

Source: Wiktionary

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Et`y*mol"o*gy, n.; pl. Etymologies. Etym: [L.etymologia, Gr. étymologie. See Etymon, and -logy.]

1. That branch of philological science which treats of the history of words, tracing out their origin, primitive significance, and changes of from and meaning.

2. That pert of grammar which relates to the changes in the form of the words in a language; inflection.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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