philology
noun
phi·lol·o·gy
fə-ˈlä-lə-jē 
also fī-
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
Examples of philology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kane’s compelling intellectual history of West Africa places Timbuktu within a much broader tradition of Islamic learning in the region, which was home to other medieval knowledge centers and which continues to advance the study of Arabic philology even today.
—
Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2016
The science of philology—how words can alter the meaning and motives of history—cried out for exposure of the unknown.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
She is also trained in philology and psychology.
—Michela Moscufo, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2022
Her father, Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British intelligence officer during World War II, was also a philology lecturer and back-to-nature bohemian who settled the family at Braziers Park, a Jacobin manor in rural Oxfordshire, when Marianne was still a toddler.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2021
Where belles lettres pursued the cultivation of taste and aesthetic sensibility, philology aimed at the accumulation of knowledge.
—Evan Kindley, The New York Review of Books, 16 Feb. 2023
Halyna graduated from Kharkiv National University with a degree in philology, Ukrainian language and literature.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2022
Studying philology or literature in the Soviet Union wasn’t appealing at all.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2022
Both brothers attended Saint Petersburg State University, where their father was a professor of philology, an academic discipline that encompasses the study of language and literature.
—Darren Loucaides, Wired, 8 Feb. 2022
See More
Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2016
The science of philology—how words can alter the meaning and motives of history—cried out for exposure of the unknown.
—Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
She is also trained in philology and psychology.
—Michela Moscufo, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2022
Her father, Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British intelligence officer during World War II, was also a philology lecturer and back-to-nature bohemian who settled the family at Braziers Park, a Jacobin manor in rural Oxfordshire, when Marianne was still a toddler.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2021
Where belles lettres pursued the cultivation of taste and aesthetic sensibility, philology aimed at the accumulation of knowledge.
—Evan Kindley, The New York Review of Books, 16 Feb. 2023
Halyna graduated from Kharkiv National University with a degree in philology, Ukrainian language and literature.
—Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2022
Studying philology or literature in the Soviet Union wasn’t appealing at all.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2022
Both brothers attended Saint Petersburg State University, where their father was a professor of philology, an academic discipline that encompasses the study of language and literature.
—Darren Loucaides, Wired, 8 Feb. 2022
See More
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Cite this Entry
“Philology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philology. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
philology
noun
phi·lol·o·gy
fə-ˈläl-ə-jē
: the study of language and especially of historical development in languages
More from Merriam-Webster on philology
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about philology
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