etymology — the study of the origin and history of words and their meanings
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the study of the origin and history of words and their meanings
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌetɪˈmɑːlədʒi/
Example Sentences
- My professor's obsession with etymology made every vocabulary lesson feel like a historical mystery show.
- The etymology of 'salary' comes from 'salt' because Roman soldiers were paid in salt.
- Learning etymology is like being a word detective - you never know what surprising origins you'll discover.
etymology
NOUN[/ˌetɪˈmɑːlədʒi/]
the study of the origin and history of words and their meanings
The professor traces the etymology of 'salary' back to Roman soldiers paid in salt.
ET studies mole saying 'Oh gee!' - tracing word origins through time
Where geology, biology, and etymology converge!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Greek 'etymologia', combining 'etymon' (true sense of a word) and 'logia' (study of). The Greek 'etymon' itself derives from 'etyos' (true) and 'onoma' (name).
Breakdown
etymo- (true sense/origin of a word, from Greek etymon) + -logy (study of, from Greek logia) = etymology
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My professor's obsession with etymology made every vocabulary lesson feel like a historical mystery show.”
“The etymology of 'salary' comes from 'salt' because Roman soldiers were paid in salt.”
“Learning etymology is like being a word detective - you never know what surprising origins you'll discover.”
“Thanks to etymology, I now know that 'sandwich' was named after the Earl of Sandwich who didn't want to leave his card game.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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