etymology

noun et·y·mol·o·gy \ ˌe-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē \

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of etymology

plural etymologies

1 : the history of a linguistic form (such as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language

2 : a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies

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etymological

play \ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl\ adjective

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etymologically

play \ˌe-tə-mə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See etymology defined for English-language learners

See etymology defined for kids

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Examples of etymology in a Sentence

Visible just beneath the entries are tantalizing glimpses of the lexicographer's craft: scouring periodicals for fresh coinages, poring over competing dictionaries in search of elusive etymologies and hounding writers and scholars in the service of … "ear candy" or plain old "duh." —Margalit Fox, New York Times Book Review, 18 June 1995
Professionals have always tried to seal the borders of their trade and to snipe at any outsider with a pretense to amateur enthusiasm (although amateurs who truly love their subject, as the etymology of their status proclaims, often acquire far more expertise than the average time-clock-punching breadwinner). —Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, February 1991
True etymology, if there is such a thing, seeks to displace our attention back in time, to roots, whereas the "popular" variety tries to update words, to familiarize them where the so-called science estranges them. —Walter Redfern, Puns, 1984
Several different etymologies have been proposed.

Recent Examples of etymology from the Web

The etymology suggests that disasters are destined, inevitable, like a Greek tragedy.

— elisa gabbert, New York Times, "What Separates Ordinary Bad News From True ‘Disaster’?," 10 Apr. 2018
Its mode of locomotion explains the etymology of kinorhynch, Greek for moveable snout.

— adrienne mason, Smithsonian, "King of The Mud Dragons," 2 Mar. 2018
The etymology of ghassoul originates from the Arabic verb ‘to wash’, where the accent on cleanliness and purification in this natural beauty product is highlighted.

— jihane hajby, Allure, "7 Moroccan Beauty Secrets You Need to Know," 29 Oct. 2017
The visual etymology is obviously and satisfyingly Chinese.

— The Economist, "Chinese takeawayHow China’s artists made sense of their country," 26 Oct. 2017
O’Donnell: Is there anything useful to note about the etymology of the word?

— b.r.j. o'donnell, The Atlantic, "The Odyssey’s Millennia-Old Model of Mentorship," 13 Oct. 2017
The first period North considers, the 1920s and 1930s, witnesses a struggle between traditional scholars, caught up in obscure debates over etymology, and amateur belletristic critics concerned with shaping the sensibility of the general public.

— timothy aubry, New Republic, "The Paradoxical Politics of Literary Criticism," 12 Oct. 2017
Diving into the etymology of virtual, however, suggests another set of meanings implicit within our use of this peculiar term.

— jacob brogan, Slate Magazine, "What philosophers say about the inevitability of VR.," 1 Sep. 2017
If the name Conshohocken confuses your out-of-town friends, here’s a little contested etymology.

— shannon rooney, Philly.com, "Property Line: Conshohocken homes under $350,000," 21 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'etymology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Commonly Confused: etymology and entomology

The etymology of etymology itself is relatively straightforward. Etymon means "origin of a word" in Latin, and comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning "literal meaning of a word according to its origin." Greek etymon in turn comes from etymos, which means "true." Be careful not to confuse etymology with the similar-sounding entomology. Entomon means "insect" in Greek, and entomology is the study of bugs.

Origin and Etymology of etymology

Middle English ethimologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin etymologia, from Greek, from etymon + -logia -logy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

ETYMOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners

etymology

noun

Definition of etymology for English Language Learners

: an explanation of where a word came from : the history of a word
: the study of word histories

ETYMOLOGY Defined for Kids

etymology

noun et·y·mol·o·gy \ ˌe-tə-ˈmä-lə-jē \

Definition of etymology for Students

plural etymologies

: the history of a word shown by tracing it or its parts back to the earliest known forms and meanings both in its own language and any other language from which it may have been taken