etymology

Meaning

1. (uncountable) The scientific study of the origin and evolution of a word's semantic meaning across time, including its constituent morphemes and phonemes.
2. (countable) The entire catalogue of meanings that a word, morpheme, or sign has carried throughout its history.
3. (countable) An account of the origin and historical development of a word as presented in a dictionary or the like.
4. (countable) The direct origin of a name, as in who someone was named after.

Synonyms

derivation

pedigree

word root

word derivation

Translations

étymologie

Etymologie

etimologia

etimología

etimologia

etimologia

ετυμολογία

etymologie

etymologia

etimologia

etimoloji

اشتقاق

Herkunft

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌɛt.ɪˈmɒl.ə.d͡ʒi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ethymologie

In summary

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”).