Definition of philology
1 : the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature
2a : linguistics; especially : historical and comparative linguisticsb : the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history
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Origin and Etymology 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: 1522
Other Literature Terms
PHILOLOGY Defined for English Language Learners
philology
playDefinition of philology for English Language Learners
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: the study of language; especially : the study of how languages or words develop
Learn More about philology
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about philology
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