etymology means the scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes. It carries an Arena rating of 1744, earned across 55 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, etymology ranks #297 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #2,181 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,367 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #2,444 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
etymology is pronounced /ˌɛtɪˈmɒləd͡ʒi/.
Why “etymology” is a great word
The study of the origin and historical development of the form and meaning of words. From Middle English ethimolegia, from Old French ethimologie, from Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek ἐτυμολογία (etumología), from ἔτυμον (étumon, 'true sense') and -λογία (-logía, 'study of'). Unlike 'definition' (which freezes a word in its present meaning) or 'semantics' (which maps the web of current relationships between words), etymology is archaeology: it digs backward through sedimentary layers of usage to uncover buried strata of sense. It is the silent 'k' in 'knight' whispering of Germanic roots, the 'salary' hiding Roman soldiers' salt-rations, and the 'avocado' holding the ghost of a Nahuatl word for testicle—each word a small tomb from which we extract not bones but intentions, the vanished thoughts of the dead who shaped our living speech.
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.
noun
- The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.e.g.“Holonyms: historical linguistics < linguistics”
- The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.e.g.“Although written the same, the words lead (the metal) and lead (the verb) have totally different etymologies.”
- An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.
- The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.e.g.“I'm sure you know the etymology of your name, Goodspeed.” — 1996, The Rock:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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