English

Etymology

From Old French ethimologie < Latin etymologia < Greek ετυμολογία , made from Greek έτυμον (true sense), neuter of έτυμος (real, true, actual) + Greek λόγος (word, speech, discourse) < Proto-Indo-European base *leg- (to collect).

Pronunciation

• AHD : ĕt"ə-mŏl'ə-jē
• IPA : /ˌetɪˈmɒlədʒɪ/
• SAMPA : /%etI"mQl@dZI/

Noun

etymology (plural: etymologies)

1. The study of the origin of words. The word may be used to describe the science dealing with the origin of words.
2. The origin of a word.

   • The etymology of this word may be found above, under etymology.

   Quotations

   • a. 1571 The etymology which the Dorians give, seems indeed more probable, than that of the Athenians; for how can Comodein, be made of the word Comazein. — Lodovico Castelvetro, Aristotle's Art of Poetry, page 28.
   • 1583 Amonge all other Artes, forgett not the Mathematikes. for the Etymologie of their name, exhortes you to learne them. — Brian Melbancke, Philotimus (1583), page 98.
   • 1693 But in former times, the Name of Satire was given to Poems, which were compos'd of several sorts of Verses; such as were made by Ennius, and Pacuvius; more fully expressing the Etymology of the word Satire, from Satura, which we have observ'd — John Dryde, The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis, page 26.

Related terms

• etymological
• etymologist
• etymon
• folk etymology

Translations

See also

• Wikipedia article on etymology