philology

phi·lol·o·gy

noun \fə-ˈlä-lə-jē also fī-\

Definition of PHILOLOGY

1

: the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature

2

a : linguistics; especially : historical and comparative linguistics

b : the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history

— phil·o·log·i·cal \ˌfi-lə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

— phil·o·log·i·cal·ly \-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— phi·lol·o·gist \fə-ˈlä-lə-jist also fī-\ noun

Origin of PHILOLOGY

French philologie, from Latin philologia love of learning and literature, from Greek, from philologos fond of learning and literature, from phil- + logos word, speech — more at legend

First Known Use: 1612

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with PHILOLOGY

chronology, gemology, graphology, horology, neurology, oology, pathology, psychology, technology, trichology, urology