etymology

noun

(uncountable, linguistics) The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.

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

(countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.

(countable) The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.

Roots

etymonetymo- · Greek · true, original sense logos-logy · Greek · study, discourse

Synonyms for etymology

lexicostatisticsn lexicologyn glossologyadj derivationn eponymyn glottologyadj philologyn

Synonyms & related words for etymology

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of etymology — including lexicostatistics, lexicology, glossology, derivation, eponymy, glottology. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to etymology

Explore words related to etymology — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include etymologize, etymological, etymologically, etymon, etymologist, paronym, onomastics, paronymous. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for etymology

Common synonyms for etymology include lexicostatistics, lexicology, glossology, derivation, eponymy, glottology, philology — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does etymology come from?

The word etymology breaks down into 2 roots of Greek origin: etymo-, from Greek etymon (“true, original sense”); and -logy, from Greek logos (“study, discourse”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.