Definitions for etymologyˌɛt əˈmɒl ə dʒi

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Random House Webster's College Dictionary

et•y•mol•o•gyˌɛt əˈmɒl ə dʒi(n.)(pl.)-gies.

  1. the history of a particular word or element of a word.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  2. an account of the origin and development of a word or word element.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

  3. the study of historical linguistic change, esp. as manifested in individual words.

    Category: Language/Linguistics

Origin of etymology:

1350–1400; ME < L etymologia < Gk etymología; see etymon,-logy

et`y•mol′o•gist(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. etymology(noun)

    a history of a word

  2. etymology(noun)

    the study of the sources and development of words

Wiktionary

  1. etymology(Noun)

    The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.

  2. etymology(Noun)

    An account of the origin and historical development of a word.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Etymology(noun)

    that branch of philological science which treats of the history of words, tracing out their origin, primitive significance, and changes of form and meaning

  2. Etymology(noun)

    that part of grammar which relates to the changes in the form of the words in a language; inflection


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